Right, @John Brunner. The natives here air dry meat and fish without salt, then smoke them. They didn't have salt as many of them lived away from salt water and it is too cool here to make salt from sea water anyway. It tastes very different than what is commercially available. They only had to ensure that things made it to cooler weather, not all year 'round.
I eat no nitrate no nitrite bacon and also hot dogs. Cost more but after colon cancer surgery, I won't take a chance except on rare occasions like a pepperoni pizza pig out.