nutritional value of pork (Chen & Liu, 2004). The levels of free amino acids in the jerky and media before and after fermentation were shown in Fig. 2. As could be seen, there was a significant difference in the free amino acids content between the fermented and non-fermented jerkies. The amino acid content in the fermented jerky (62.0 mg/100 g) was 2.4 times that of the nonfermented jerky (25.27 mg/100 g). It was also discovered that the free amino acids content was higher in the medium after fermentation than before fermentation. Combined with the protein content change of the jerkies before and after fermentation, the results indicated that as the protein in the fermented jerky decreased, the free amino acids increased. This was because the protein was degraded and produced free amino acids, part of which remained in the jerky to improve the flavor, and part of which was left in the fermentation medium. Thus, the medium after fermentation had much a higher free amino acids content than before fermentation (0 mg/100 g). These free amino acids by themselves can enhance fermented meat flavor, and they can also serve as substrates for further production of flavor compounds, improving a product’s flavor and taste