Biltong vs Jerky: What’s the Difference and Why It Matters

Beef snacks are everywhere, but not all dried meats are created equal. If you’ve been wondering about the difference between biltong vs jerky, we’re here to break it down—and show you why Figure Ate’s biltong is the nutrient-dense, regenerative beef upgrade your pantry’s been missing.

What Is Biltong?

Biltong (literally meaning "strip of beef") is a time-honored method of preserving meat, long embraced in South Africa as a nourishing, shelf-stable staple. Traditionally, it’s made using vinegar, salt, spices, and a slow air-drying process—no heat, no sugar, and no artificial additives. Think of it as ancient slow food: simple, nourishing, and made to last.

Is Biltong Like Beef Jerky?

Biltong and jerky may look similar, but their ingredients, process, sourcing, and flavor differ in every meaningful way.

Beef jerky differs noticeably in taste and texture—it's typically tougher and drier due to how it’s processed. Jerky often includes additives like preservatives, sugar, and artificial flavoring, whereas biltong is made with simple, real ingredients and naturally preserved through air-drying. Biltong is also sliced after drying, which gives it a thicker, steak-like texture, and uses vinegar and salt instead of synthetic preservatives to keep it shelf-stable.

Here’s a quick look at the differences between biltong and jerky:

How Is Biltong Made?

Our biltong begins with regeneratively raised, grass-fed, grass-finished beef marinated in wine vinegar and organic spices. It’s gently tumbled to tenderize, then cut into thick strips and air-dried slowly over 7–10 days. Once fully dried, the meat is sliced into bite-sized pieces for a tender, steak-like texture. It’s never cooked, never coated in sugar, and never preserved with artificial ingredients. The result is a clean, protein-rich snack with nothing to hide—just real meat and real flavor.

What Makes Regenerative Beef Different?

Compared to industrial beef production—where cattle are crowded into feedlots, fed GMO grain, and fattened quickly with synthetic additives—regenerative ranching offers a radically different model. Regenerative agriculture prioritizes land health, animal welfare, and resilient local economies.

At operations like Thousand Hills Lifetime Grazed,  one of our trusted beef partners, cattle are never confined to feedlots. Instead, they’re raised entirely on pasture, in ways that restore the land and nourish people.

Rotational grazing mimics the natural patterns of wild herbivores: hooves aerate the soil, manure fertilizes it, and movement stimulates plant growth. This process builds healthy soil, supports biodiversity, and protects water quality.

Regenerative ranching is also rooted in people. It strengthens regional food systems and helps revive rural livelihoods.

At our parent nonprofit, White Buffalo Land Trust, these principles guide our work every day. At Jalama Canyon Ranch, we conduct hands-in-the-soil research to uncover best practices for stewarding the land. We also train and support farmers and ranchers to move beyond organic—toward systems that restore soil, water, and biodiversity.

Regenerative practices begin with the soil. Through methods like rotational grazing and compost application, we support the microbial life that drives healthy ecosystems. Living soil grows resilient plants, which in turn nourish grazing animals. Over time, these systems regenerate the land—producing more vibrant ecosystems and more nourishing food.

The result? More nutrient-dense, delicious food that supports the health of people, communities, and ecosystems alike.

Biltong: Better Flavor Without Unnatural Additives

What you’ll notice right away about biltong vs jerky: biltong isn’t sticky or shiny. There’s no syrupy glaze or strange chew. It’s real beef, simply seasoned, air-dried, and shockingly tender. It tastes like steak because it is steak, not shelf-stable mystery meat.

With clean ingredients, nutrient-dense protein, and a regenerative mission behind every bite, there's no reason to settle for jerky.

Taste the difference with our Spiced or Original Biltong and join us in supporting the land, the ranchers, and the future of real food.