Sweet vs Savory Kosher Jerky: Which to Choose
Sweet kosher jerky is glazed, chewy and familiar; savory kosher dried beef is salty, spiced and beef-forward. Most people know which they want within one bite. If you are buying for someone else, or for a table, here is how the two differ and how to choose.
What makes jerky sweet
Sweet jerky is glazed: sugar, honey or a sweet sauce cooked onto the surface until it sets. Sugar also helps preserve the meat, which is why sweetened preserved meat has a long history, from honey-glazed ham to Chinese bak kwa. Our sweet jerky is Meat Candy, in two flavors.
What makes it savory
Savory dried beef leans on salt, spice and the beef itself. Our savory option is biltong: vinegar, salt, coriander and black pepper, air-dried, with no added sugar in the Original.
The flavors, sweet to savory
| Flavor | Where it sits |
|---|---|
| Baa-Baa BBQ Sheep (Meat Candy) | Sweet and savory together; Korean BBQ |
| Hickory Kickory Dock (Meat Candy) | Sweet, with smoky hickory |
| Loaded Garlic (biltong) | Savory, rounder, a little sweetness from roasted garlic |
| Peri Peri (biltong) | Savory with real heat; a little brown sugar |
| Original (biltong) | Fully savory: beef, coriander, pepper |
Who likes which
| Sweet (Meat Candy) | Savory (biltong) |
|---|---|
| Kids and teenagers | Steak lovers |
| Fans of classic American jerky | South Africans, and anyone who grew up on biltong |
| Barbecue lovers | Anyone watching sugar or eating keto |
| A treat with a coffee | A l'chaim with whiskey |
Storage differs too
Sugar draws moisture, so an opened bag of sweet jerky goes tacky in humid air and pieces stick together. Savory biltong keeps drying and gets firmer. For a bowl that will sit out all afternoon, savory holds up better.
For a mixed crowd
Put out both. The room sorts itself out. Everything is in our kosher beef jerky collection, certified Glatt Kosher; see the certificates.
Try it: Kosher Biltong and Jerky Flavor Finder. Three questions pick your flavor.
