Biltong is a cured, air-dried meat that originated in South Africa. Beef is the most common version, though you'll also find game biltong made from kudu or ostrich. The meat is cut into strips, cured in vinegar and salt, coated in spices (coriander and black pepper are standard), then hung to dry for several days until it reaches the right moisture level. The result is dense, flavourful, high in protein, and nothing like beef jerky.
If you've only come across biltong recently, you've probably seen it sold in supermarkets or via online resellers. Most of what's on those shelves was made somewhere else and repackaged. Biltong Direct is different. We've been manufacturing biltong ourselves in Basildon, Essex since 2004, in our own facility, using our own recipes. That's 20 years of making it, not sourcing it.
How biltong is made
The process starts with the beef. We use quality cuts selected for the right fat content and grain. The meat is hand-sliced into strips, then submerged in a vinegar cure. Vinegar does two things: it begins to break down the muscle fibres and creates an acidic environment that inhibits bacterial growth. This is why properly made biltong doesn't need preservatives.
After curing, each strip is coated in the spice mix. At Biltong Direct, the blend includes coriander, black pepper and salt. The proportions are ours. After 20 years of production, we know exactly what they should be.
Then it hangs. Each batch dries for around five days in controlled conditions, air-circulating slowly. The drying time determines the texture. Pull it early and you get a wetter, more tender bite. Leave it longer and you get dryer biltong with a firmer chew and more concentrated flavour. We make both, because customers want both.
That's the whole process. Vinegar, spice, time and air. No shortcuts produce the same result.
Why making it in-house matters
When you buy from a reseller, you're buying biltong someone else made to someone else's spec. You don't know when it was produced, how long it travelled, or whether the recipe has changed. When you buy from Biltong Direct, the batch was made here in Basildon. We know exactly what went into it because we put it there.
Two decades of continuous production also means we've had time to refine things most suppliers never touch. The cure times, the spice ratios, the drying conditions by season, the right thickness for each cut. Those details come from making biltong every week for twenty years, not from reading a spec sheet.
Biltong and beef jerky are not the same thing
They look similar in a packet, but the processes are different and so is the result.
| Feature | Biltong | Beef jerky |
|---|---|---|
| Process | Air-dried raw over several days | Cooked or smoked at low heat |
| Texture | Dense, tender to firm depending on drying time | Chewy, uniform |
| Flavour | Vinegar, coriander, black pepper | Sweet, smoky, often sugary marinade |
| Sugar content | Low | High |
| Protein per 100g | Around 49g | Around 33g |
| Origin | South Africa | USA |
If you've only had jerky, biltong will taste unfamiliar the first time. Most people prefer it once they make the comparison.
What to buy
Biltong is the starting point, but we make the full range of South African cured meats: droewors (thin dried sausage), snap sticks, and boerewors for the braai. We also stock a full South African grocery range across our Basildon and Chelmsford shops and online.
Shop our biltong range. Free delivery on orders over £50.