The term jerk is said to come from the word charqui, a Spanish term of Quechua origin for jerked or dried meat, which eventually became the word jerky in English. Jerk is also derived from the action of jerking, which referred to poking meat with holes so that flavor could more easily be absorbed. The term jerk spice (also commonly known as Jamaican jerk spice) refers to a spice rub. The word jerk refers to the spice rub, wet marinade, and to the particular cooking technique. Jerk cooking has developed a following in United States, Canadian and Western European cosmopolitan urban centers with Caribbean/West Indian communities. History. Jamaican jerk sauce developed as an adaptation by escaped enslaved Coromantee Africans in Jamaica.