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Is Ayoba-Yo Traditional Biltong Beef Slices any good?
This Biltong from producer Ayoba-Yo makes for a fine change of pace from regular jerky. The air dried meat snack is a delicious treat, albeit the premium nature means its not as cheap as some alternative. Buy on Amazon.
This snack product caught my eye while lazily browsing Amazon.com (affiliate link) one afternoon. Biltong is apparently the South African version of American jerky, a dried meat snack product. The crucial difference with Biltong over jerky seems to be the more natural approach to the preparation; think less sugar etc. This particular product from Adobe-Yo promises a lot of quality touches: grass fed beef, hands dried for two weeks and finished with minimal adulterations.
The first thing you notice about this product is the beef is far less chewy than regular jerky; to be sure Ayoba-Yo are at pains to stress this isn’t jerky, but thats probably most people’s immediate comparison point. I’m a fan of the texture, but if you’re looking for a chew that goes on and on, this isn’t it.
Taste wise this is big, bold, beefy flavor in your face; mineral rich and with little sweetness as promised. I was hooked right away on the taste alone, and I could happily scarf the bag down in one sitting. Indeed, that wouldn’t be as deleterious for you as some comparable jerky products. Check out the nutrition below, the Biltong is remarkably low in fat and sodium too (for a product in this class).
At $8.99 (the price I paid on Amazon.com) this is certainly a premium product, it’s not something I could reach for on a regular basis. I’d recommend it for anyone looking to investigate a new International flavor though!
Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you! I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic SLC – Utah’s biggest and oldest online food magazine; I’m also a former restaurant critic of more than five years, working for the Salt Lake Tribune. I’ve worked extensively with multiple local publications from Visit Salt Lake to Salt Lake Magazine, not least helped to consult on national TV shows.
I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have covered the Utah dining scene for the better part of fifteen years. I’m largely fueled by a critical obsession with rice, alliteration and the use of big words I don’t understand. I started Shop Smart to catalogue my adventures in the grocery store and kitchen. Follow along on Instagram too!