What is Biltong?

febrero 17, 2022

Curing and preserving meat for times when food is scarce has been of great importance throughout our history and has transcended many centuries and cultures.

Evidence has been found indicating that in Mesopotamia, around 3000 B.C., meat and fish were salted and dried and preserved in sesame oil.

By 200 B..C, salt curing was common in Greece and popular in the Roman Empire.

In the 19th century, important advances were made to perfect the preservation of cured meat.

History of Biltong

Biltong is a cured meat, similar to a bresaola or a cecina in Europe, native to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana.

Originally in the region, they sun-dried the meat of different animals they hunted.

When the Dutch arrived, they saw that it was the perfect way to store and transport food and they adopted this technique. They added vinegar, saltpeter and spices that they brought with them to the traditional recipe and thus was born the Biltong as we know it today.

In fact, the word Biltong comes from a combination of the Dutch words "bille" (for buttock) and "tonghe" (for strip or tongue).

What is Biltong?

Biltong is a relatively new product in the international market.

It can be made with various types of meat although it is most commonly made with beef.

We strongly believe in the benefits of organic farming. That is why the beef and the other ingredients we use are certified organic.

Biltong has two main characteristics:

The first is the curing process. The Whole pieces are air-dried in a traditional way, as is done with ham or prosciutto for example. This provides a very tender texture and a very natural flavor.

The second is vinegar. This is a basic ingredient in any biltong recipe. In addition to helping with the curing process, it gives the biltong its characteristic flavor.

Once cured, it can be found in whole pieces or in slices.

Benefits of Biltong

The rise in popularity of biltong is due in part to its nutritional composition, in our opinion, superior to any other snack option.

Because it is made using just the highest quality lean meat, salt, vinegar and spices, its nutritional values are incredible.

But perhaps, the best thing is the very tender texture and flavor given by the traditional air-drying process, with no rush at low-temperature.

These are its main advantages:

High protein content: around 50%
Very low in carbohydrates
High iron content*
Good source of magnesium and potassium.
High in B vitamins
No added sugars, no preservatives, no additives, no gluten

*Iron, a nutrient that is lacking in many people around the world (https://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/en/ida_assessment_prevention_control.pdf)

We also make it with a reduced salt content.

If you want to take a look at our version of this great product, we leave you a link where we explain more and where you can find the nutritional composition and ingredients of the two flavors that we have available: https://cherkyfoods.com/collections/eco-biltong-cuts