WHAT EVEN IS BILTONG? (AND WHY IT’S NOTHING LIKE JERKY)

Let’s get one thing straight.Shoving Bilos biltong straight into your face hole is — and always will be — the correct move. But… just for fun. Just for the flavour. Just for the absolute joy of it — we’re going to get weird and wonderful with how you can use your biltong. Because when you’re working with artisan, small-batch, Wagyu-powered flavour bombs, there’s no need to play it safe. These aren’t your average snack ideas. These are Bilos-certified culinary stunts. Let’s go. 1. Build the Ultimate Biltong Charcuterie Board Forget ham. Forget that sweaty cheese that’s been in the fridge since Christmas. It’s time to level up your grazing game — Bilos style. The Bilos Board Basics: Chakalaka Biltong for the spicy show-off energy A gooey, hard-hitting blue cheese to match the meat Sweet figs or dried apricots (because contrast is sexy) Roasted nuts, fresh olives, a rogue chilli or two A smoky whisky or bold shiraz to wash it all down Arrange it all on a wooden board. Bonus points if you aggressively call it a “platter” and casually drop the word “umami” into conversation. Instagram caption idea:“I make meat sexy.” #BilosBoard 2. Use It as a Breakfast Power-Up Forget protein powders. Forget sadness on toast.This is how you start your day like a flavour god. Bilos Biltong Breakfast Hacks: Slice up Traditional Wagyu Biltong into scrambled eggs (trust us, life-changing) Add Spicy Chilli strips to your avo toast and instantly earn snack street cred Sprinkle Chakalaka into your breakfast burrito and destroy the concept of “too early for spice” Side effects include: A surge in protein Unshakable morning swagger Immediate superiority over every other breakfast on your block Doctor’s orders? More biltong before 9am. 3. Bloody Mary? Meet Biltong You’ve heard of bacon in a Bloody Mary. Now imagine: A tall glass of tomato firewater Celery stick (fine) Lime wedge (sure) And a juicy, spicy strip of Bilos Chilli Biltong sticking out the top like a flavour flag Garnish? Nah. Statement. Biltong isn’t just a snack — it’s an event. Also, if you’re not slightly hungover while drinking it, are you even doing brunch properly? This is for those who believe brunch should: Have meat Require sunglasses Cause stories 4. Make It the Star of Your Next Adventure Hiking. Road trips. Fishing. Camping.Whatever outdoorsy flex you’ve got planned, Bilos belongs there. Why? No refrigeration needed Doesn’t crumble like chips Actually fuels you (instead of sending you into a sugar crash coma) But here’s the real move: Use Biltong as Trail Bribery.You’re halfway through a hike. Your mate is whinging. The hill looks rude. Whip out a 100g bag of Spicy Chilli and say, “One bite for every 200 steps.” Congratulations. You’re the MVP of the mountain. Also acceptable usage: Poker night fuel Bike ride motivation That awkward friend-of-a-friend’s house party where the snacks suck 5. Turn It Into a Secret Ingredient (That You Brag About Relentlessly) Want to blow someone’s mind without working too hard? Here’s how: Grab a handful of Traditional Bilos Chop it fine (or blitz it in a food processor like a rebel) Sprinkle it over creamy pasta, mac and cheese, baked potatoes, pizza — hell, even sushi if you’re feeling chaotic This isn’t just garnish. This is flavour armour. People will ask, “What’s in this?”You’ll say, “Oh, just Wagyu biltong from a small-batch butcher in Mortdale.” Cue slow clap. Cue glory. Cue fork fights at the dinner table. BONUS ROUND: The Forbidden Sixth Way — Shove It In Your Face Anyway Let’s not pretend. You’re going to ignore all these suggestions, rip open a bag, and devour it solo while standing in your kitchen at 11:43pm. And honestly? We respect that. Final Thoughts: There Are No Rules. Only Biltong. Whether you: Turn it into a chef-level garnish Sip it with cocktails Eat it in a tent, on a boat, or half-asleep on your couch Just remember: you’re snacking like a legend. Bilos isn’t here to tell you what to do.We’re here to give you the juiciest excuse to do it better. Tag your weirdest Biltong use @bilosbiltong with #BilosBeyondSnacks. We’ll feature the best ones.Or the most chaotic ones. Probably both.  

If biltong could talk, ours would have an Aussie drawl and a South African attitude. Because Bilos wasn’t born in a boardroom.It wasn’t cooked up in a marketing brainstorm or whipped together to jump on the protein-snack bandwagon. Bilos was born out of legacy.Of butchers and braais. Of smoky kitchens in Johannesburg and wild Saturday mornings in Mortdale. Of flavour that refuses to be silenced, and a love of meat that borders on obsession. This is the story of how two worlds collided to make one bloody good biltong. Where It All Began: Johannesburg, South Africa  Picture this:The suburbs of Jo’burg. A little boy, 10 years old, standing on a milk crate in his uncle’s butcher shop, elbows deep in beef and spice rub. His name? Nicky. Other kids were playing footy. Nicky was learning the ancient art of drying meat. Not because he had to. Because he wanted to. He watched. He asked questions. He measured coriander with surgeon-level precision. He learned that meat isn’t just food — it’s craft, culture, and connection. It’s a way to honour your family, your heritage, your land. Those early lessons stuck like chilli on the tongue. Fast Forward to Mortdale, NSW  Now cut to Sydney. Mortdale, to be exact. A bit of a hidden gem in the heart of the south. Quiet streets. Good butcheries. The smell of hard work and barbecue in the air. This is where Bilos was born. Built with bare hands, stubborn pride, and a no-BS attitude.The mission was simple:Bring real-deal South African biltong to Australia — but make it better. Not just replicate it. Reimagine it. Local Aussie Wagyu instead of generic beef Artisan batches instead of factory runs Ethical, sustainable, handcrafted from scratch A South African foundation. An Aussie evolution.Flavour first. Mediocrity last. Always. Why This Matters You can find snacks anywhere.Supermarkets are overflowing with options that are fine, safe, okay-ish. But you don’t build a community around “okay.” You build it around flavour that tells a story.And every strip of Bilos biltong is a story you can chew. It’s about a little kid learning the ropes in Jo’burg A butcher’s shop lit up with passion A flight across oceans A stubborn refusal to go mass-market A decision to stay small-batch, even when “scaling” looked sexier And the belief that two cultures can come together and create something better than either one alone This is heritage with hustle.This is global flavour with local pride. The Bilos Identity: Global Roots, Local Boots So what does it mean to be Aussie as, with Jo’burg Swagger? It means we: Honour tradition but aren’t afraid to remix it Use the best local produce and age-old international methods Keep our hearts in the kitchen and our minds on flavour Craft with the pride of two continents We’re proudly immigrant-born and Aussie-raised.Just like our biltong. Flavour Has No Borders When you bite into Bilos biltong, you’re not just snacking.You’re time-travelling. You’re globe-trotting. You’re memory-making. That spice? Straight from a Jo’burg recipe book. That buttery Wagyu melt? All Aussie excellence. That hit of obsession in every slice? That’s Nicky. Food has the power to unite cultures, tell stories, and build bridges made entirely of beef. And we’re here for all of it. The Craft That Connects Us Let’s get real for a second.Making biltong this way is not easy. It’s: Slow Labour-intensive Fussy Expensive Borderline obsessive But you know what else it is? Worth it. Because every strip is a tribute to the kid in Jo’burg.To the butcher in Mortdale.To every person who’s ever bitten into something amazing and thought, “This… this is special.” From Our Kitchen to Yours This isn’t just our story. It’s yours now too. Every time you crack open a Bilos bag: You’re part of a cross-continental legacy You’re biting into something crafted, not manufactured You’re supporting a flavour revolution We’re building a community of people who don’t settle.Who want more than generic.Who appreciate stories, spice, and Wagyu done right. Join the Movement Bilos isn’t just a brand. It’s a belief system. We believe in: Respecting the meat Elevating the snack Honouring our roots And making damn sure nothing we do is ever “just okay” So grab a bag. Grab a mate.Tell ‘em where it came from. And tell ‘em where it’s going. Because this isn’t just a snack.It’s a story — and you’re in it now.

Let’s talk beef.Not the kind where Karen complained to the manager. The real stuff.The holy grail of meat.The king, queen, and delicious deity of protein: Wagyu. If you’ve tasted Bilos, you’ve already met Wagyu — though maybe you didn’t realise you were chewing on royalty. This blog is our way of saying, thank you, majestic meat marvel.And also, to help you understand why at Bilos, we don’t mess with any other cut, cow, or corner. First Off — What Even Is Wagyu? You’ve heard the word.You’ve seen the price tag at a steakhouse and swallowed your soul.But what actually makes Wagyu… Wagyu? Wagyu translates to “Japanese cow,” but it’s not just a cow in a kimono. It’s a highly prized breed known for: Rich marbling — that buttery web of fat you see dancing through the meat Melt-in-your-mouth texture that should be illegal in 14 countries An umami flavour so deep it could write poetry Natural tenderness that makes your knife feel like it’s slicing through clouds It’s not just steak. It’s an experience.And it’s the only beef we trust with our biltong. But Wait… Wagyu in Australia? Hell yes. Wagyu is living its best life in Australia — in fact, Aussie farmers are absolutely killing it (ethically, of course) with some of the finest Wagyu this side of Kobe. The cows roam free. They eat well. They’re raised with respect and purpose.Kind of like slow-living influencers, but actually useful. And at Bilos, we partner with the kind of producers who: Obsess over quality and care Treat animals ethically and the environment responsibly Believe meat should be an art form, not just a commodity Because for us, sourcing matters.It’s not about slapping “premium” on a packet and hoping you don’t ask questions. It’s about putting in the work — from the paddock to the plate.\ Why Wagyu in Biltong? Isn’t That... Overkill? Some might say using Wagyu for biltong is “extra.” To them, we say:Correct. We are. Bilos is not in the business of okay-snacking.We didn’t build a butcher’s temple in Mortdale to make average. Using Wagyu does a few important things: Flavour that slaps — The fat marbling means every bite is juicy and full of depth. No dry, dusty sadness here. Soft texture — Air-dried beef can be tough. Wagyu stays tender. It’s like silk sheets for your mouth. No need for weird additives — The meat does the talking. We don’t need sugar, fake flavours or whatever “liquid smoke” is. It costs more. It takes longer.But that’s the point. You can taste the mad respect in every bite. The Ethics Behind the Beef Look — we don’t take meat lightly. Every slice of Bilos biltong is a tribute to the animal it came from. That means: No waste. No fillers. No scraps. Just premium, hand-selected cuts that honour the craft. Small batches only. Big factories don’t make artisan food. Butchers with a mission do. And yes, using Wagyu makes this a little niche.A little boutique.A little “are we really doing this for biltong?” YES. WE ARE. Because once you taste it, you’ll never want to go back. The Marbling, The Myth, The Legend Let’s get poetic. Wagyu fat isn’t like other fat.It’s not chewy, rubbery, or the part you cut off. It’s soft. Creamy. Almost sweet.It melts at a lower temperature, meaning it melts in your mouth, not in your hand (sorry M&Ms). This fat is flavour. This fat is function. This fat is why you’re licking your fingers after smashing a 250g bag while pretending to “just have a few.” But Isn’t Biltong Supposed to Be Cheap, Tough, Trail Food? Not ours. Bilos is redefining what biltong can be.We’re not just making a snack — we’re crafting an experience. And that means changing the story from: “Rough-and-ready road trip nibble”to “Artisan indulgence with cultural roots and world-class meat” We didn’t choose Wagyu because it’s trendy.We chose it because it’s worthy. The Real Ones Know If you’re reading this, you’re not here for average. You’re here because you: Love flavour that actually tastes like something Respect the craft Want to know where your food comes from Appreciate a snack that tells a story Wagyu is that story.And Bilos is the storyteller. To the Cow, With Love To the Aussie Wagyu legends out there,To the farmers, the butchers, the spice-makers —To the biltong believers who know the difference between real and factory-faked: We salute you. Your work feeds a movement.Your flavour fuels a revolution. And to the cows? Thanks for the marbling. You will not be forgotten. Want to Taste the Difference? Get yourself a bag of Bilos. Or better yet — get the 1kg bag and pretend you’re “sharing it with mates.” Your taste buds will know. Your conscience won’t mind.