Preserving Meats in the Traditional Ways

Perhaps it is just a coincidence, but all the techniques that are ideal for eliciting umami were discovered and perfected as methods for preserving foodstuffs that are quite perishable. This is particularly true for fish, but also for meat and milk products. While conserving them is simply a tool to ensure that they will keep, it often changes them beyond recognition. What is important is whether they are still edible and have kept, or even increased, their nutritional value.