Why Buy Biltong Instead of Jerky?

Picture this: you’re almost at the top of Mount Washington—you have just about made it! You’ve trained so hard for this and you love being outdoors, but you can’t deny that your legs are sore, you’re very sweaty and you’re almost positive that your right big toenail is about to fall off (or it feels like it is, at least). The view from the summit is definitely worth it, you just need a little kick of energy and you’ll feel the sense of accomplishment and success that you seek. Enter Stryve’s biltong: pull this protein-packed bag of magic out from your backpack and you’ll be ready to race to the peak.

If we reimagined that situation and substituted conventional jerky in for biltong, you’d be left nearly at the top of the mountain feeling sluggish and unhealthy. This is because unlike biltong, typical jerky is injected with syrups, fillers, and marinades throughout its production process. The end result is a too chewy, less protein-rich, sugary meat that tastes more like candy than it does beef. Because our method of creating biltong focuses on air drying 100% American lean grass-fed beef instead of heating and dehydrating it, biltong naturally has 50% more protein, no sugar and no preservatives or additives.

Before this, you may have thought of jerky and biltong as being interchangeable, but in reality, they couldn't be more different. In terms of everything from the drying process, to price, to nutrition and texture, quite literally they have nothing in common. Here’s the 411: jerky is pumped with additives, dried using heat and sold as a mainstream, mass-produced product. You know the saying—you get what you pay for. On the other hand, biltong is simply meat, vinegar and a housemade dry rub that is air dried for up to two weeks in a climate controlled room and then sliced generously to achieve a snack packed with protein and flavor with a tender texture much like Italian prosciutto.

If you don’t believe us, here are the cold hard facts: on average per 1oz serving, jerky has 11g of protein, 6g of sugar, 6g carbs, 1g fat and 80 calories. Stryve biltong has 16g of protein, 0g of sugar, 0g carbs, 2g of fat and 90 calories. Because our biltong has no additives or preservatives, you can rest assured that you are putting just meat into your body when you eat it. With five different flavors to choose from, you’ll quickly be able to find one you love (we think you’ll love all of them). Check them out.