Biltong is air-dried, not cooked. It is cured with vinegar and salt, then left to dry in cool air for about five days, so it keeps its deep beefy flavour without any heat. Jerky is usually cooked or smoked at high heat and often coated in sugary marinades. That difference in method changes the texture, the taste and what ends up in the finished meat.
What is biltong, and how is it made?
Biltong is a South African tradition that goes back roughly 400 years, born from the simple need to preserve beef without refrigeration. If you want the full story, we have written a plain guide to what biltong is, but the short version is this: good beef is trimmed, cured in vinegar and salt with a few spices, and then hung to dry in cool air.
We make ours by hand in Sintra at around 400 metres of elevation, where the cool Atlantic air suits air-drying beautifully. The meat dries slowly over about five days. There is no oven, no smoker and no shortcut. Just six ingredients: beef, vinegar, worcester sauce, salt, coriander and black pepper. That is the whole list.
How is jerky different?
Jerky starts from a different idea. Instead of being air-dried, it is usually cooked or smoked at heat until the moisture is driven out quickly. To carry flavour through that process, many jerky recipes lean on marinades built around sugar, soy and other sweeteners. The result is a meat that is often stickier and sweeter, with a longer ingredients list than you might expect.
Neither one is wrong. They are simply two different ways of drying beef, shaped by two different climates and histories. But if you are watching what goes into your food, the gap between them matters.
Biltong vs jerky: the quick comparison
| Biltong | Jerky | |
|---|---|---|
| Process | Air-dried in cool air, no heat | Usually cooked or smoked at heat |
| Sugar | None | Often coated in sugary marinades |
| Ingredients | Six: beef, vinegar, worcester sauce, salt, coriander, black pepper | Often longer, with sweeteners and additives |
| Protein | Over 60g per 100g (our lean biltong) | Varies, often lower once sugar is added |
| Texture | Firm but tender, easy to chew | Often chewier and stickier |
Which one is better for you?
It comes down to what is in the meat. Our lean biltong has over 60g of protein per 100g, around 3g of carbs per 100g, no sugar and no additives. Because there is no marinade doing the heavy lifting, the flavour comes from the beef and the spice, not from added sweetness.
Jerky can still be a decent source of protein, but the sugary coatings common in many recipes push up the carbohydrate content and can crowd out the meat itself. If you are curious about how air-dried beef fits into a balanced diet, we go into more detail on whether is biltong healthy and what that protein figure really means day to day.
Does biltong taste like jerky?
Not really. Because jerky is often sweetened, it tends to taste sticky and sugary. Biltong tastes of beef first, lifted by coriander, black pepper and the gentle tang of the vinegar cure. It is savoury rather than sweet, and the air-drying gives it a firmer, cleaner bite.
We make three flavours, all built on the same honest base. Lean is our plain version, Garlic adds a warm mellow note, and Piri Piri brings a bit of gentle heat. None of them rely on sugar to taste good.
Frequently asked questions
Is biltong just South African jerky?
No. Biltong is air-dried and cured with vinegar and salt, while jerky is usually cooked or smoked at heat. They are two separate traditions, and biltong is roughly 400 years old.
Does biltong contain sugar?
Ours does not. Biltong contains no sugar, whereas jerky is often coated in sugary marinades. Our lean biltong has around 3g of carbs per 100g and no additives.
How much protein is in biltong?
Our lean biltong has over 60g of protein per 100g, which makes it a genuinely protein-dense way to eat beef.
Is biltong cooked?
No. It is air-dried for about five days in cool air, never cooked or smoked at heat. That slow drying is what gives it its texture.
What is biltong made of?
Just six ingredients: beef, vinegar, worcester sauce, salt, coriander and black pepper. Nothing else.
Does it need to be kept in the fridge?
Biltong is a dried, cured meat, so it keeps well at room temperature. Once a pack is open, a cool dry spot keeps it at its best.
Do you ship outside Portugal?
Not at the moment. We make everything by hand in Sintra and ship within Portugal only.
Try it for yourself
If you have only ever had jerky, biltong is worth a taste. It is beef, vinegar, salt and spice, air-dried the slow way, with over 60g of protein per 100g and no sugar. Packs are 17.50 EUR in 250g, 500g and 1KG sizes, with a monthly subscription if you want it to keep arriving. Have a look at our shop, find your flavour and buy biltong in Portugal.
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