LOW IN CALORIES
Eating a calorie controlled diet is an integral part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The latest research results even indicate a longer lifespan through a low-calorie diet.
HIGH IN MINERALS
Protein not only plays an important role in maintaining muscles, but also bones. In addition, protein promotes healthy brain and heart function and stabilizes blood sugar levels.
HIGH IN VITAMINS
Biltong is packed with essential B vitamins, which are responsible for blood regeneration, among other things.
HIGH IN PROTEIN
Iron, zinc, and magnesium contained in biltong are vital for a healthy immune system, as well as nerve and muscle function. The minerals can also help keep blood pressure stable.
Beef Jerky – delicious meat snack for
Connoisseurs, athletes and part of a conscious diet
Beef Jerky has enjoyed great popularity almost all over the world for years. the one from
American trend snack - which is often called jerky for short - also has
now has a large fan base in Switzerland. But what exactly characterizes it
Meat Snack and where are the parallels and differences to Biltong?
Beef Jerky: the popular dried meat from America
Here you can find out what beef jerky is, what the delicious meat snack is
distinguishes and what parallels and differences there are to biltong meat.
What is beef jerky and where does the name come from?
First things first: Beef Jerky is a dried meat from American cuisine. Who invented it? They were probably the Native Americans several centuries ago. The term also indicates this. Because the name Jerky is phonetically reminiscent of the term Ch´arki, which means something like "dried meat" in Quechua, a group of indigenous language varieties. However, the meat snack has nothing to do with the English adjective “jerky” – which can be translated as “jerky”. However, the dried meat was not initially made from beef, but came from hunted prey typically found in America, such as buffalo and the like. The European explorers not only adopted the technique of drying meat, but also the word. This then went through numerous changes in several centuries and languages up to today´s Jerky in American English.
Why dried meat at all?
The indigenous peoples of the Americas were primarily hunter-gatherers. If they hunted more prey than they could consume directly, they were interested in the longest possible shelf life. By drying the meat, this could be significantly extended. No wonder, then, that soon the settlers from Europe on the American continents dried meat and, thanks to their jerky, always had nutritious provisions with them on their travels.
How is jerky made?
As the name Beef Jery makes clear, beef is the basis of American dried meat. During production, thin strips are cut from it. Then it is dried, whereby the thin strips of beef are salted and seasoned beforehand – depending on the process. An oven is usually used for drying, in which a constant temperature of around 50 degrees Celsius prevails. The US company Jack Link's has been the market leader for jerky for decades. Originally from Germany, the Link family has been in the meat industry since 1885 and is the first port of call for many who want to buy beef jerky. Even though Jack Link's now offers numerous meat snacks, jerky is still the most important product in the company's portfolio.
Meat
As the name suggests, beef jerky is made from beef. There are other variants, but "beef" is clearly the most popular among consumers. Many types of meat could be used in traditional biltong. The spectrum ranged from A for antelope to S for springbok or ostrich to Z for zebra. But beef has also become very popular, especially in Europe. The African dried meat variant tends to be a bit more versatile.
Taste
Dried meat can taste very different. If you want to test it yourself, you should definitely do the taste test and compare jerky and biltong dried meat. Even if there are different seasoning variants for the Meat Snacks, the dried meat, which originally comes from Africa, tastes spicier and juicier in direct comparison. In return, the slightly drier jerky scores with a smokier aroma.
Manufacturing
There are some differences between jerky and biltong meat when it comes to the production of the dried meat. With jerky, the raw meat is first cut into strips, which are usually only a few millimeters thick. This is followed by salting or seasoning and then drying, which is usually done in an oven. With biltong meat, on the other hand, the first step is to put it in marinades, which traditionally consist of vinegar and many delicious spices. Then comes the gentle air drying, which lasts several days. Only then is the air-dried meat cut into bite-sized pieces and ready to be enjoyed.We have summarized further details on the manufacturing process for you on our website. This different production method is responsible for the outlined differences in taste. Because the biltong meat dries in larger pieces, it usually has a higher residual moisture content than jerky and is therefore juicier when eaten. Would you like to prepare the African dried meat yourself? Then we havehere is the right biltong recipe for you. Otherwise you will find in ourBiltong storea large selection of delicious dried meat in various tasty variants.
Jerky offers these advantages
Today there are numerous ways of preserving food for a longer period of time. Therefore, the increase in durability through the drying process is no longer the most important advantage. More important for consumers, on the other hand, are the benefits that biltong dried meat, which comes from Africa, also offers. Both meat snacks are very tasty, but still contain relatively little fat, cholesterol and calories. There is a lot in it that the human body needs. These include, above all, essential B vitamins and minerals such as iron, magnesium and zinc. Both dried meat variants are therefore the ideal snack for in between. However, they are particularly popular with athletes. The meat snacks are high-quality sources of protein and contain large amounts of protein, which can naturally accelerate muscle growth.
What are the key differences between beef jerky and biltong?
Both beef jerky and biltong are dried meat. Nevertheless, there are some differences that are by no means limited to the different regions of origin – America or Africa. The most important are three aspects:
- Meat
- Taste
- Manufacturing
