Kuivaliha (lit. "dry meat"), also known as kapaliha, is salted and dried meat, often reindeer meat. It is a traditional food and a delicacy of Northern Finland, prepared at springtime. Like jerky, of which kuivaliha is a variant of, its origins lie in the need for food preservation. Kuivaliha is a very useful snack when camping, etc., for its light weight and good nutrition values. It is also used in soup ("kuivalihakeitto").