Best Biltong and Droewors (Dry Wors) in Australia
At Protea Foods, we pride ourselves on being one of the first pioneering producers of this South African air-dried beef delicacy in Australia. From humble beginnings, our family-owned business has grown to be one of Australia’s premier producers of beef biltong and droewors for over the last 40 years.
Protea Foods biltong meat is hand-cut from prime and lean Australian topside beef and carefully mixed and marinated with our unique blend of spices for over 24 hours. The biltong meat sticks or steaks are then hung and slowly air-dried over several days to deliver a tasty, mouth-watering and flavour-packed treat.
Like our biltong, our beef droewors meat sticks are hand-made from Australian beef and blended with our special droewors spice mix. They are air-dried in controlled drying conditions to produce a meat snack that’s better than any pepperami or jerky stick you’ve ever tasted.
From beef biltong sticks to droewors, we believe our biltong meat snacks are a ‘must have’ staple in every pantry in Australia. It’s time for you to swap out your beef jerky and jerky sticks for the King of air-dried beef meat snacks. Enjoy it as a high protein post-workout snack, as an on-the-go treat, or as a nutritious and healthy snack alternative for your kid’s lunchboxes.
The Biltong Difference
Dried meat snacks have long been a favourite for millions of people worldwide. At Protea Foods, the key to our success lies in our proven preparation methods -combining a range of our unique spices and seasonings, and processing methods to ensure the best Australian-made South African biltong you can buy.
So, what exactly is the difference between biltong and jerky?
Biltong
Biltong is air-dried with lower heat temperatures than jerky. This allows biltong to retain its natural beef flavour and its core nutrients like iron, zinc, magnesium and vitamin B12.
Biltong is cut into thick steak-like strips or sticks and left to hang in climate controlled rooms.. The drying/curing process can take up to one week, which allows the flavours to slowly and fully develop.
Biltong uses natural ingredients such as coriander, cloves, salt, pepper and vinegar - flavours influenced by the French Huguenots settlers and South East Asian spice trade routes that passed through the South African cape.
Beef Jerky
Beef jerky is often dehydrated at higher temperatures than biltong in ovens for up to 8 hours.
The faster drying and processing times almost cooks the meat and can make the jerky tougher, drier and chewier than biltong.
The faster drying process of jerky also removes a lot of the natural beef flavour. Sugar or other sweet and savoury marinades and ingredients are added to improve the taste and make up for the loss of natural beef flavour. Sometimes liquid smoke or artificial smoke flavourings are added to also improve the flavour.
Final word of advice: South African’s love their biltong. Never say to a South African that biltong is jerky or that biltong is like jerky. And never call it biltong jerky! Biltong and jerky are very different and once you try and experience the difference, you too will understand why we crazy South Africans love it so much.
Buy our Biltong Online or In Store
We offer the convenience of online shopping with delivery available all over Australia. You can also find our range of Protea Foods Biltong at selected Coles, Woolworths, IGAs and independent supermarkets and food stores.
