There’s nothing a South African loves more than a handful of fresh biltong!
Cut into tasty, thin bite-sized slices, and prepared to their exact preference: maybe rare, with a little fat (but not too much!), a lovely soft texture and mouth-watering taste…. Or - maybe that’s just us! I digress….
So - Freshly cut Biltong versus Pre-packed Biltong: which is best?
Fresh Cut Biltong:
- The traditional South African way to eat Biltong.
- Many SA expats still make their own biltong at home and there are fantastic biltong makers in the UK who have developed their biltong products to cater for that huge variety of tastes.
- Many biltong lovers enjoy going to their butcher and having their fresh biltong products cut there and then. Others prefer to buy biltong online from different suppliers, which enables them to try a different biltong recipe they may not have access to locally. Buying biltong online has also become much more popular during the Covid-19 pandemic - for obvious reasons!
- Depending on the drying time, biltong meat can vary in texture and consistency:
- Wet = shorter drying time, softer texture, pinker meat - like a rare steak.
- Med = longer drying time, more chewy texture - stronger flavour.
- Dry = longest drying time, most chewy option, but the flavour is intense - yum!
You can also have your biltong lean, or with a little fat - or really fatty! And you can have it in medium or fine slices - there’s an option for everyone. 😀
There are a couple of downsides to the fresh cut biltong option. For one thing, it doesn’t last that long - around a week is normal. Like any raw / natural product, it will deteriorate over a relatively short time. HOWEVER, that’s not usually a problem - it’s highly unlikely your biltong will still be around after a few days - ours doesn’t last 5 minutes!
As long as you store it properly, fresh cut biltong should last you 7-10 days. Follow these tips and you won’t go far wrong:
- Keep your biltong in a dry, well ventilated bowl. Sealing it in a plastic tub, or similar container will only encourage moisture - and that means mould!
- Mix the biltong up a bit daily to keep the air flow constant: keep an eye on its appearance and use your common sense and your nose to decide!
Pre-Packed Biltong:
Definitely not the South African way! However, for the pure joy of having access to high quality, fresh biltong on the go, the sealed snack pack has risen massively in popularity in the UK over the last 5 years. Biltong snack packs are now a regular presence in UK supermarkets, becoming a go-to part of the take-away lunch aisle.
There are three main reasons for the rise of Biltong's popularity on the shelf:
- It's a good alternative to carbohydrate laden crisps and sandwiches.
- It's a cleaner way to snack: no sticky sauces or coatings.
- More meat lovers are moving away from sugar-filled meat jerky products, which have been around for a long time, due to the increased presence of American style stores and products in the UK over the last 20 years.
There a many groups of biltong snack pack fans - here are just a few of the tribes we’ve been lucky enough to meat:
Fitness Fans - what do they say?
- "It’s gym bag handy."
- "It’s high in protein so a good energy source for those intensive workouts."
- "It’s low in carbohydrates, so no starchy sugar rushes."
- "It’s Keto & Paleo diet friendly, so no worrying if it’s allowed!"
Explorers - why do the hikers and walkers love a biltong snack pack?
- "They’re lightweight and take up very little room in your backpack: vital when you can only take with you what you can carry!"
- "The high protein content provides a great, slow burning energy release to tackle those long treks."
- "The packets are watertight and don’t spoil!"
Biltong and meat lovers - so what do they think?
- Generally the answer is "Whether fresh cut, or pre-packed, it’s tasty!"
- Many also reply that they're happier eaters when they know their meat is:
- "Sustainably sourced from grass-fed, well-reared animals."
- "Quality meat." Only prime beef - usually silverside - is used to make biltong.
- "Without any added 'nasties'." Cured and air-dried, biltong isn't pumped full of water and waste products to bulk it out, like many fast food meat products: it always aims to be a good meat choice, with ethics at its heart.
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter which option you choose, as long as you know where your biltong comes from. When it’s made by an ethical, responsible producer, you can be confident that the quality of the pre-packed product is not compromised.
The fresh cut option will always be the traditionalist’s favourite, but sometimes a snack pack can be worth its weight in gold!
Visit our Socials or drop us an email & let us know which is your favourite!
