Biltong types break down across three dimensions: the meat it's made from, how much moisture is left in it, and how it's seasoned. Get those three right and you know exactly what you're buying before you open the bag.
By Meat Type
- Beef biltong is what most people picture. It's the most common commercial type, made from lean cuts like topside, silverside, or eye of round. The low fat content helps it dry cleanly and hold its texture. If you're new to biltong, this is where to start.
- Game biltong is actually the original. Kudu, springbok, and impala were the meats South African settlers dried during the Dutch colonial period, long before beef took over commercially. Game cuts are leaner than beef, which means a slightly firmer chew and a more pronounced mineral flavor.
- Poultry biltong covers chicken and ostrich. It's the modern, lower-fat option that picked up real traction with health-conscious buyers. Ostrich in particular is worth knowing about because it's red meat, not white, and it takes to the curing process more like beef than like chicken does.
By Dryness
- Wet biltong has a higher moisture content and a softer, almost tender texture. The shelf life is shorter, but a lot of people consider this the better-eating version because the inside is still slightly yielding.
- Dry biltong comes in below 25% moisture. It's harder, pulls apart more like a dense jerky, and lasts longer. Good for packing, traveling, or just preferring a firmer bite.
This is the real difference between two bags of biltong that look almost identical on the shelf. Dryness affects texture and shelf life more than any other single factor.
By Spice Profile
- Plain is salt-cured with minimal seasoning. You're tasting the meat, and that's the point.
- Spiced (traditional) brings in coriander, black pepper, and sometimes garlic. Coriander is the backbone of almost every South African recipe, and for good reason: it complements the vinegar cure without overpowering the meat.
- Peppered loads up the black pepper specifically. It's not just spiced biltong turned up louder. The pepper ratio is high enough that it changes the whole character of the bite.
One thing worth understanding: biltong is air-dried and vinegar-cured, never smoked or heat-dried the way beef jerky is. That's why the texture is denser and the moisture stays higher across all types. If you want to compare the two directly, the full breakdown of biltong versus jerky covers the drying method, texture, and taste differences in one place. And if you're ready to try a few types side by side, our biltong sampler pack is a straightforward way to taste the range without committing to a full slab of something unfamiliar.
