The Story of Allagash Black and the River that flows North

In the Northern Maine wilderness exists the Allagash River, one of the most beautiful and fascinating rivers in the world. Most people will never see it and in fact most Mainers have only heard the tales or seen pictures from the few that have actually been there. There are no roads, power lines or homes and the Allagash actually flows north into the Canadian wilderness.

Our story starts there. You see, most people who visit this place are different from the others. They are rugged individualists who love challenge, appreciate nature, can live off the land if they choose and want to see nature as it was thousands of years ago. Depending on the time of year, there will be nobody there. Lynx, loon, rabbits, bear, and moose along with all sorts of other creatures thrive as do the fish that are plentiful and healthy; you can see it in their coloring.

The air is fresh and the night sky is alive with light...more light than you can imagine. Even the Northern Lights have slipped down to this part of America. This is a world that our legend is built upon. Jean Claude, born in Maine from Cajun roots, like all the other fishermen, hunters, and trappers before him lived on dried meats and fruit through the cold brutal winters. Most called him Jack. He could canoe and fish year round because of the river's flow. Many of his ancestors moved south. Some traveled as far as Louisiana. But that is another story.

Jean Claude was a special breed; he loved the fine taste of food from around the world. He had left the North Woods for a time to stake out his claim traveling the world. He had experienced the best it had to offer but realized that what the world offered was nothing like what his river offered. He came home, but with him came a new appreciation for flavor, texture and flare in food. In the early days, jerky was not a treat or a snack. It was survival. It was what he ate to survive nine months of bitter weather.

His favorite time of year was autumn, as it brought the crisp night air and the disappearance of the no-see-ums. He had spent the gorgeous summer preparing for the next nine months and was ready for the winter ahead. He created and experimented with his spices, meats and flavorings. He perfected what is known today as Allagash Black Sweet and Hot, the ultimate Jerky with flavors that would wake up his pallet and re-create the wonderful flavors of the lands he had traveled and experienced. Yet this recipe was uniquely Maine. His original recipe was made with venison or moose, but today it is made with top round beef of the highest quality.

Jean Claude left this world at 102 but did teach his trade to friends and fellow trappers from around New England. They in turn shared their great recipes with him. Between them, they created a tradition of blending flavors and mastering drying styles that still is practiced to this day.

That art of Craft Jerky began then, but the traditions stayed confined to a select few…until now.

Today, we have taken Jean Claude's origional and select recipes from all of Northern New England and added these fantastic Jerky styles to our menu. After all, nine months eating just one flavor wasn’t Jean Claude’s way of life. Why should it be ours? Explore the world of Allagash Black Craft Jerky. You can experience a small bit of history and some day, you may even venture to our part of the world, the world where the river flows north.

Why the name? Well, real quality Jerky has very little fat and is black when dried. Fat is not black. Jean Claude ate only the best so any person who came to his camp always knew his Jerky would be only the highest quality. When these woodsmen would meet up with Jean Claude, they would ask if they could have some of his Jerky. …. “How ‘bout some Allagash Black”?

 

Oh, by the way… You know what name is on his gravestone?

“Allagash Jack”

 

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