Biltong is air-dried, cured meat - usually beef in the UK.

The word "biltong" comes from an Afrikaans amalgamation of two Dutch words:

 - “bil” translates as rump, buttock or hindquarter, while “tong” means strip, or tongue.

- Dictionary definition: “lean meat which is salted and dried in strips”

In reality, biltong is much more than just strips of meat: it represents a way of life and tells part of a people’s story in the most sensory way.

The practise of cutting meat into strips and hanging it up to dry, originated with the indigenous peoples of southern Africa, as an effective way of preserving meat. The hot, dry African climate provided the ideal conditions for the process and allowed the nomadic societies to keep their food stores with them.

When settlers from Europe arrived in the 1800s,  Dutch, French and German communities learned from this process and added their own ingredients, such as vinegar, pepper, coriander etc, to create a flavoursome and robust foodstuff that would sustain them through their travels and settlement. 

Biltong was the ideal food to carry on the long treks across Africa and the abundance of game, such as kudu, ostrich and zebra ensured a good supply of fresh meat with a variety of flavours. As the settlers’ cattle herds and farms expanded, beef became the primary source of meat for biltong, and that remains true today - especially in the UK, where kudu are rather harder to come by!

We wrote a blog about this - read it here

The key to great biltong is the cut of meat. At the Biltong Merchant, we only supply ethically sourced 100% beef cuts from animals that have been humanely reared and grass fed on farms with the highest standards of animal husbandry. 

In South Africa, the dry atmosphere provides the ideal conditions for air-drying biltong and removing the moisture. In the UK, it’s a lot more humid and UK producers often use biltong drying rooms/cabinets to carry out the process.

Once the meat is spiced and cured, it is dried slowly over several days, all the time maintaining a constant temperature and low humidity levels.

There are so many reasons to choose biltong as the go-to snack:

          - It’s nutritionally rich because it’s cured, not cooked, and it retains many of the vitamins and minerals usually lost through cooking, such as zinc, iron, magnesium and vitamin B12

          - It’s carb free and full of protein

          - It’s non-processed and gluten and sugar free

          - It’s great value for money: better than a calorific pie, or a carb-loaded sandwich

          - It’s immediate

          - It’s portable

          - And - my goodness: It’s tasty!



There are other, more serious reasons for choosing biltong over other meat snacks, especially now, when times are tight and every purchase matters. Vegetarianism and veganism are on the rise - quite rightly - given the impact on our environment of mass-farming and over-consumption. 

All the more important, then, to make your meat choice wisely and make it count! 

Here are some good reasons to make sure you get enough protein in your diet:

- Protein is essential for growth and repair of the body and maintenance of good health.

- You need it to make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals.

- It is a component of every cell in your body. In fact, hair and nails are mostly made of the protein a-keratin.

- It is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood.

 A small amount of good quality, ethically reared meat is a perfect source of protein. Read more in our blog about Protein and its benefits here

For fitness lovers and health fans - watch this space....

Depending on the drying time, biltong can vary in texture and consistency:

          - Wet = shorter drying time, softer texture, pinker meat - like a rare steak

          - Medium = longer drying time, more chewy texture

          - 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 and you can have it in medium, or fine slices - there’s an option for everyone!

NB: this only applies to biltong bought in the larger, bespoke bags. The small snack packs are sealed and dry by default, due to their longer shelf life.

Remember that, however you like your biltong, it is a natural, fresh product and the wetter it is, the shorter its storage lifespan.

           - Keep your biltong in a dry, aerated bowl: sealing it in a plastic tub or similar will only encourage moisture - and that means mould!

           - Mix the biltong up a bit daily to keep the air flow constant: it’ll last about a week, so just use your common sense and your nose to decide!

Learn more about storing your biltong here

Biltong differs from Jerky in several ways:

           - Jerky is cooked and dried. Biltong is cured and air-dried.

           - Jerk is also often smoked. Biltong never is.

           - Jerky recipes use sweeter ingredients, such as honey, maple syrup, or soy or worcestershire sauce. Biltong is cured with just salt, vinegar and spices before being air-dried.

           - The meat used in Biltong can be much thicker; typically biltong meat is cut in strips approximately 1" (2.5 cm) wide – but can be thicker. Jerky is normally very thin meat.

           - Jerky is traditionally dried with salt but without vinegar. The vinegar, salt and spices in Biltong, together with the drying process, cure the meat as well as add texture and flavour.

From the Afrikaans word for “dry sausage”, droëwors is another Southern African snack food, based on the thicker traditional, coriander-seed spiced boerewors sausage from Namibia. It is also air-dried and cured and comes in sticks although it is made with minced meat, rather than steak, like biltong.

So - Bonus Question:

What is Boerewors?

From Afrikaans - “Boer” meaning “farmer” and “wors” meaning “sausage”, boerewors is a traditional sausage made from beef mince, often combined with pork or lamb. It’s spicy and aromatic - and very long! Perfect for a BBQ...

From the Afrikaans meaning “little stick”, stokkies are another type of cured, spiced & dried meat snack. Stokkies are also called Beer Sticks as - surprise surprise - they go great with a cold beer! 

Beer & refreshment lovers, watch this space....

For the time being, we only ship within the UK. Shipping costs will apply, and will be added at checkout. We run discounts and promotions all year, so stay tuned for exclusive deals.

You can see Shipping Charges here.

Useful Tip:

To avoid racking up delivery charges by ordering from several producers at once, why not buy from one at a time and keep notes on your purchases, so you can compare your favourite things about each product?

What did you love about it? Taste, texture, smell...

How did you store it?

How long did it last you? Or did it disappear in one session ?!

We’ll soon be starting a group for lovers of all things biltong where members can see tips and share recipes etc. Watch this space for more news as we have it.

We have included a list of ingredients and nutritional information wherever possible, provided by the producer for each of their products: click on the Product “View more” button when shopping.

If you have a specific question or concern, you can get in touch with us before you order and we will endeavour to find the answer for you.

NB: We have a variety of producers in The Biltong Merchant family, with their own recipes and ingredients, and we cannot state exactly which products contain which ingredients.

Please do not order any product if you’re not 100% sure of your allergy status: The Biltong Merchant cannot be held responsible for the purchasing decisions of our customers. See our Terms of Service

We always aim to make sure our customers love our products, but if you do need to return an order, we’re happy to help. See our Returns Policy

Check our Terms of Service here. Or, you can contact us through our Contact Page.

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