Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| cecina | /θeˈθina/ /seˈsina/ |
feminine |
| charqui | /ˈt͡ʃaɾki/ | masculine |
| cábano | /kabano/ (from spelling rules) | Colombia, masculine |
| charque | /ˈt͡ʃaɾke/ | masculine, alternative form |
| chacina | /t͡ʃaθina/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /t͡ʃasina/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
feminine |
| tasajo | /taˈsaxo/ | masculine |
Charqui is used to refer specifically to dried meat like beef jerky, while cecina is a broader term for dried and salted meat that can include both beef and pork varieties.
Which one should you use?
While cecina is common in Spain, charqui is the term more frequently used in the Andean regions of South America. Charque is an alternative spelling of charqui.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Colombia, the term cábano is used specifically for jerky. In certain regions of Central America, particularly in Nicaragua and Honduras, the term tasajo is commonly used for beef jerky or dried meat. In some parts of Mexico and the Andean region of South America, the term chalona is used to refer to dried meat, particularly mutton jerky.
How does it change in a sentence?
charqui, charque, cábano and tasajo are masculine nouns. cecina and chacina are feminine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/θeˈθina/
Did you know?
- The term charqui is the direct ancestor of the English word 'jerky'.
- In Spain, cecina de León is a protected geographical product with a specific curing process that differs from South American versions.
- In some Latin American markets, tasajo is often sold fresh and salted for immediate grilling rather than being fully dried like American jerky.
Examples in context
- Me gustaría comprar cecina, por favor.I would like to buy some jerky, please.
- ¿Conoces algún lugar donde vendan charqui?Do you know any place where they sell jerky?
- ¿Cómo se llama este tipo de carne seca? – Es chalona, una especialidad de la región.What's the name of this type of dried meat? – It's chalona, a specialty of the region.
- ¿Podrías comprarme un poco de tasajo en el mercado?Could you buy me some beef jerky at the market?
- Vamos a preparar una comida con xarque.Let's prepare a meal with dried meat.
- La cecina es un aperitivo salado.Cecina is a salty snack.
- ¿Te gusta la cecina con pan?Do you like jerky with bread?
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are deciding what to eat for a snack.
- SofíaJavier, ¿tienes hambre?Javier, are you hungry?
- JavierSí, quiero comer algo.Yes, I want to eat something.
- SofíaPodemos comer cecina.We can eat some jerky.
- JavierEsa es una buena idea.That is a good idea.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “jerky” translations and entries cecina, charqui, charque, chacina, tasajo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
