Biltong vs jerky: what actually differs

Jerky is cooked. Biltong is not. That one difference drives everything else. Jerky is sliced thin, marinated, often with sugar, soy or a sweet glaze, then dried with heat or smoke, which cooks the meat as it dries. Biltong is cut thicker, soaked in vinegar, rubbed with salt, coriander and black pepper, then hung to air-dry at room temperature for several days. No heat, no smoke. Air-drying pulls water out and leaves the protein behind, so biltong tends to be more protein-dense by weight: a 35g BulltongAfrica pack holds 19.4g of protein, roughly 55g per 100g. Sugar is the other split. Vinegar and salt do the curing in biltong, so a pack can sit under 0.8g of sugar, while sweetened jerky often carries several grams. Texture follows the method too. Biltong stays tender, jerky is chewier and drier. Neither is better. They are two methods with two different results.

How biltong is made compared to jerky

Jerky starts with thin strips, usually cut across the grain. The strips sit in a marinade, then go into a dehydrator, an oven or a smoker. Heat does two jobs at once: it drives off water and it cooks the meat. Smoke, where it is used, adds flavour and a little surface preservation. The result is a dry, firm strip with a cooked, often sweet-savoury taste.

Biltong starts with thicker pieces cut with the grain. They are wetted with vinegar, which lowers the surface pH, then rubbed with coarse salt, coriander and ground black pepper. The meat then hangs in moving air at room temperature for days. Nothing cooks it. We cure ours with vinegar, sea salt, coriander and ground black pepper, the same method South African families have used for generations. The full ingredient declaration is printed on every pack.

Why biltong tends to have more protein per 100g

Protein density is arithmetic, not marketing. Drying removes water, and water has no protein in it. Take enough moisture out of a piece of beef and everything left behind, mostly protein and fat, makes up a larger share of what is in your hand.

Biltong is usually dried further than jerky, and it is not carrying a sugar-heavy marinade, so the protein share per 100g tends to land higher. Our numbers are printed on the pack: 19.4g of protein in a 35g pack at 98 calories, 49g of protein in a 90g pack, roughly 55g per 100g.

Jerky varies enormously between brands, so read the nutrition panel rather than trusting the category. A heavily glazed jerky and a lean air-dried biltong are not the same food, but a good jerky is still a solid protein snack.

Sugar is the difference most people miss

Most jerky recipes lean on a sweet marinade. Brown sugar, honey, teriyaki and barbecue glazes all add sugar, and that sugar stays in the finished strip. It is what gives jerky its glossy, slightly sticky surface and its sweet edge.

Biltong has no sugar step. The flavour comes from the vinegar, the salt and the spice. A 35g pack of ours is under 0.8g of sugar and 1g of carbs, which is why biltong turns up so often in low-carb and keto snacking. If sugar is the thing you are watching, that gap is the practical reason to choose one over the other.

Taste and texture

Jerky tastes cooked, because it is. Smoked varieties taste of smoke. The texture is firm and chewy, sometimes leathery, and you work at it.

Biltong tastes of beef first, then the coriander and pepper, with a light sour note from the vinegar underneath. Because it was never heated, the inside stays tender and gives way quickly. Thicker pieces break apart softly rather than pulling.

How each one keeps

Sealed jerky is fairly stable. The sugar and the cooking help it hold its moisture level, so a bag opened and clipped shut changes slowly.

Biltong behaves differently, because air-drying never really stops. Leave a pack open and it keeps losing moisture, getting harder and more concentrated. Some people prefer it that way. Keep it sealed, cool and out of the sun, and go by the date on the pack. In a humid kitchen the thing to watch for is trapped moisture, not dryness.

Biltong vs jerky at a glance

Feature	Biltong	Jerky
Method	Cured, then air-dried	Marinated, then heat-dried or smoked
Cooked	No	Yes
Cure	Vinegar, salt, coriander, pepper	Marinade, usually with sugar
Cut	Thicker, with the grain	Thin strips, across the grain
Texture	Tender, breaks apart	Firm and chewy
Sugar	Low: under 0.8g per 35g pack in ours	Varies, often several grams

Which one should you buy

If you want a sweet, smoky, chewy snack, buy good jerky. It is a real craft and a well-made jerky is worth eating.

If you want protein density with almost no sugar, and you prefer beef that tastes like beef, buy biltong. That is the trade in one line. Barbeque is the closest of our six flavours to jerky's smoky, familiar flavour, just without the added sugar.

BulltongAfrica makes halal biltong from South African cattle, cured and air-dried in South Africa the traditional way and flown to Dubai, in six flavours at 15 AED for 35g and 34 AED for 90g, with next-day Dubai delivery, free over 125 AED. You can pick your three here.

More on choosing and buying biltong in the UAE: Biltong in Dubai: a straight guide to buying it.