Posted on 10th Apr 2012 @ 1:09 PM

Beef jerky are strips of lean meat cured in salt and left to dry under the sun. This method of food preservation can be traced back to Peru as early as 1550. Biltong jerky, meanwhile, has been a staple in South African cuisine ever since the Dutch inhabited the country in the 17th century and introduced the locals to this processed meat. But aside from their origin, what exactly is the difference between normal beef jerky and Biltong jerky? There are quite a few, in fact.

Difference between Normal Beef Jerky and Biltong jerky

1. One difference between normal beef jerky and Biltong jerky is how the meat is sliced. Biltong jerky is cut against the grain of the meat to allow more of its water content to dry up. This is the reason why Biltong jerky is crispier than beef jerky. They are also cut into one inch wide strips of meat. Beef jerky, meanwhile, is commonly cut along the grain and is made into very thin strips of meat. If you compare them side by side, you will immediately notice the difference in width as Biltong jerky is usually around two to four times thicker than the normal beef jerky. Because if this, one difference between normal beef jerky and Biltong jerky is that Biltong jerky packs more nutrition and is heavier on the stomach. In fact, Biltong jerky is considered a meal in itself, especially in South Africa.

2.Another big difference between the two types of jerky is in the process of curing. The traditional way of curing beef jerky only requires salt. The original recipe of a Biltong jerky, meanwhile, makes use of salt, vinegar, black pepper, brown sugar, and coriander. Though both food products now come in many variations with the addition of some spices, the basic ingredients in their respective curing methods remain as the main difference between normal beef jerky and Biltong jerky.

3. The curing processes results to another difference between normal beef jerky and Biltong jerky, which is the taste. Biltong jerky is generally regarded as the more flavorful of the two. The traditional beef jerky is a little on the salty side because of the salt cure. Biltong jerky, on the other hand, has added flavor as a result of the vinegar used in the curing process. The texture is another difference between normal beef jerky and Biltong jerky. need More Contact Beef jerky Australia