Editing Food drying (section)

== Food types ==
[[File:Dried mushrooms.jpg|thumb|A collection of dried mushrooms]]
[[File:Octopus drying under the sun in Greece.jpg|thumb|170px|Sun-drying [[octopus]]]]

Many different foods can be prepared by dehydration. Meat has held a historically significant role. For centuries, much of the European diet depended on dried [[cod]]—known as [[dried and salted cod|salt cod]], [[bacalhau]] (with salt), or [[stockfish]] (without). It formed the main protein source for the [[slavery|slaves]] on the [[West Indies|West Indian]] plantations, and was a major economic force within the [[triangular trade]]. [[Dried fish]] most commonly cod or haddock, known as [[Harðfiskur]], is a delicacy in [[Iceland]], while dried [[reindeer]] meat is a traditional [[Sámi people|Sámi]] [[food]]. Dried meats include [[prosciutto]] ([[Parma ham]]), [[bresaola]], [[biltong]] and [[beef jerky]].

Dried fruits have been consumed historically due to their high sugar content and sweet taste, and a longer [[shelf-life]] from drying.<ref>{{cite book|isbn=978-0805052473|title=The Food Chronology: A Food Lover's Compendium of Events and Anecdotes from Prehistory to the Present|author=Trager, James|publisher=Henry Holt|year=1997}}</ref> [[Fruit]]s may be used and named differently when dried. The plum becomes a [[prune (fruit)|prune]], the grape a [[raisin]]. [[ficus|Fig]]s and [[date palm|date]]s may be transformed into different products that can either be eaten as they are, used in recipes, or rehydrated.

Freeze-dried vegetables are often found in food for backpackers, hunters, and the military. [[Garlic]] and [[onion]] are often dried and stored with their stalks [[Braid#Onion and garlic|braided]]. Edible mushrooms are sometimes dried for preservation or to be used as seasonings.