How Our Team Likes to Eat Our Biltong

Ask any biltong lover what their favourite biltong is and you will get a variety of different opinions. Is it the spicy kick of peri-peri seasoning, a little fiery BBQ or the classic simplicity of traditional biltong? At Protea Foods, we thought it would be fun to see what our team loves about biltong and what makes it special to us. So, take a seat – grab yourself a snack (and while you’re at it, why not make it biltong) and let’s see what the overall consensus is.

Warren (Director) – Traditional Fatty Biltong

“I love biltong when there is a nice strip of fat on side using beef silverside. When the beef is grass-fed there’s this lovely yellow fat that is absolutely lekker and delicious. I’ve been eating biltong since I was a young kid.  I used to help my dad make biltong when he started what would become Protea Foods over 40 years ago, so I’ve made lots of biltong and eaten heaps of it as well.

I eat biltong at any time of the day but somehow, I have it mostly for breakfast after I’ve been for run. It’s a perfect source of protein and great for any training diet regime. While I love eating biltong on its own, one of favourite ways to eat it is with potato crisps—particularly crinkle cut, salted, plain potato crisps . The combination is fantastic almost like having steak and frites. The textural marriage of the crunchy crisps and the soft beef biltong is also a winning combination.

I’ve recently tried mixing things up a bit by eating biltong with chicken flavoured crinkled cut chips. It’s almost like someone’s added chicken salt to the mix… hmmmm… now there’s an idea...”.

Cut from grass-fed Victorian beef and marinated generously in our signature spice blend, it’s hard to resist fatty biltong. Slowly air-dried, it delivers a richer, juicer bite than our traditional biltong counterpart. With its marbled meat texture and irresistible chew, our fatty biltong is sliced fresh and ready to enjoy straight from the pack.

Zaina (Retail Manager) – Droëwors 

“When it comes to incorporating biltong into snacks and light meals, I love to add a handful of biltong slices into my popcorn container while watching movies whether at the cinema or on the couch at home.  My kids like adding biltong to omelettes or as a pizza topping. Biltong is a healthy, tasty replacement for bacon, ham or pancetta in many of our recipes.  

When I’m not mixing my biltong up with popcorn, I love eating droëwors. It’s such a simple, easy and convenient snack that’s packed with protein and iron. And - I don’t like droëwors, I LOVE IT!!”

Once you’ve had a taste of droëwors, you will soon find out that our 100g variety is simply not enough. Luckily, it comes in a 500g pack variety, just enough to keep your snacking temptations satisfied for longer. This air- dried sausage is made from the same slow process as traditional biltong, using our special marinated blend of spices. Each piece of droëwors is deliciously firmand crisp for that perfect “snap” and packed with flavour. This one is perfect as an everyday pantry staple or family get togethers.

Iain (Quality Assurance)         

“As part of my role in QA, I’m lucky that I get to test and sample most of the products. Some of the testing involves measuring things like the water activity but it also requires me to taste our products to ensure that each batch meets our standards. It’s a tough job but somebody has to do it. Lol.

I think all Protea Foods products are good from the slices to stokkies and droëwors. I don’t have a favourite way of eating biltong. I just like it as it comes but I do have a penchant for the peri-peri varieties.

It’s not hard to see why this is one of our top sellers at Protea Foods. It’s perfect for those who like their snacking with a bit of attitude – hot enough to feel that tasty zing without losing the original taste of the biltong flavour. Enjoy the fiery kick in different varieties including slices, stokkies or mini sticks. The delicious, air-dried beef flavour will keep you reaching out for more. Instead of reaching for crackers or chips, why not go the peri-peri biltong instead – it won’t disappoint.

Deb (Co-Founder)

“I like biltong in any way that it comes. Whether it is sliced or cut in big chunks. However, my absolute favourite biltong is traditional lean biltong that is still softer and moist. I like the softer texture of the ‘wetter’ biltong as it’s easier to chew, juicier and tender. I like my steaks to be rare or medium-rare so moist biltong is perfect for me.

Biltong can take several days to dry. The longer you dry the biltong, obviously the drier it is. Drier biltong can be firmer than moist biltong and the flavour profile is different. It has a more intense beef flavour and is more savoury.  

 Moreover, I love biltong as it’s also so convenient especially when I am on the run, I don’t have time, and I know that it is healthy and a good source of protein for not only me but also my family.”

Traditional sliced biltong has long been a staple favourite in South African households for generations. This one lets the flavour do all the talking and it’s the ultimate ‘go to’ snack for the whole family. You can even layer it into a sandwich or add to salads for some extra punch.

Paul (Production Manager)

“I love biltong. Let me start by saying that. I like it in all flavours, forms and with different types of food.

I like biltong to be chewy. If I have thinly sliced biltong, I prefer that it is drier. However, if I have biltong cut into half-inch chunks, I like it to be soft and moist and preferably fatty.  If it is cut into chunks, I like to add a bit of heat to it with some Tabasco or Chicken Licken sauce for an extra chilli kick.

If I’m watching the Boks play rugby, I must have biltong and beers. There’s nothing like chasing the savoury biltong flavour with a crisp, refreshing beer. I also like sliced biltong mixed with crisps. I like the chewy and crunchy at the same time. Lekker.

If I need a quick easy meal and I'm feeling lazy, I'll add biltong slices to my instant noodles. It adds some extra flavour and protein the meal to make it more fulfilling.

As soon as you take your first bite of biltong, you will understand why it’s hard to beat. It’s perfect as a midnight snack, watching your favourite sports team on the couch or snacking at your desk while at work

Helen (Operations Manager)

“I prefer the fresh biltong from the retail shop that is also available online. My preference is a medium to wet and lean profile and thinly sliced. I also love the packaged traditional biltong which is drier, which brings out the spices that are used in the biltong.  I’ve more recently decided the BBQ Protein Punch is pretty yum and love the smokey flavour for something different. I eat biltong as a quick go to snack throughout the day or as a protein hit after a workout. Also, a handy snack when travelling.”

“Great as a gift idea.  I’m always gifting biltong to my friends and family and like to give them a variety of products from slices, stokkies, ministicks or droëwors.”

Our Gift Card

Not sure what to gift the biltong lover in your life? Start here. Protein Punch BBQ brings all the smoky, savoury flavour of classic barbecue into protein- packed bites of biltong. Add a few packs of our sliced traditional biltong, top it off with a Protea Foods gift card and let them build their own biltong stash.

Deniz (Organic Marketing)

“First time having Protea foods biltong. It was not what I was expecting. Loved it. I polished 20 packs in under two weeks! I started off with the ones that are high in protein so I can enjoy as a snack without feeling guilty. I have tried other brands of biltong in the past and they do not taste anywhere near as good as Protea Foods”

One Thing Is Clear

As you can see, one thing is evident - everyone has their favourite biltong.  Whether it's the timeless appeal of traditional biltong, the spicy zing of peri-peri or BBQ flavours, there’s something for every taste bud. Why not do your own taste test at home and see which one earns the top favourite in your household. Happy biltong-ing!