AllOutdoor Review: Figure Ate Beef Biltong – Original & Spicy

As we all adventure more in the Great Outdoors as weather improves this spring, we’re going to need to bring some snacks and sustenance along with us to keep the good times rolling. Sometimes a spike in your carbs and sugar can be a fast hit of energy for a task at hand (think of fruit or a large dollop of honey), but most of the time healthy proteins provide us the best sustained energy. Moreover, we all need to be “book worms” in the ingredient listings of what we’re consuming. Eating products or food that are free of artificial preservatives, like nitrates or nitrites, can ensure lifelong health and that you don’t hit a wall during your outdoor activities. That is why we are excited to review today Figure Ate Beef Biltong in their Original and Spicy flavors. Figure Ate does not have any artificial preservatives making it an authentically healthy snack while recreating in the outdoors. So, join us as we review Figure Ate Beef Biltong in their Original and Spicy flavors today. Let’s dive in!

Jerky/Biltong Coverage on AllOutdoor

Nutrition Information: Figure Ate Beef Biltong – Original

For starters, let’s take a look at the Figure Ate Beef Biltong in its Original flavor. As we alluded to, it is simple in its deliver and ingredient listing which is what makes this biltong snack so desirable. We are looking at only 5 ingredients (all of which you can actually pronounce), a strong helping of protein, and no unnecessary sugar.

Only 5 ingredients: Grass-fed beef, Organic wine vinegar, Sea salt, Organic black pepper, Organic coriander
32 grams of protein and 0 grams of sugar per serving
No artificial preservatives, nitrates or nitrites
MSRP $11.99 for a 2 Ounce Bag

Nutrition Information: Figure Ate Beef Biltong – Spicy

Next up, is the Figure Ate Beef Biltong in their Spicy flavor. This biltong, like its Original counterpart, has a simple ingredient listing of just 8 elements with that similar nutritional profile of 32 grams of protein with no sugar. Additionally, there are no preservatives. With the biltong drying process, the preservatives that competing protein snacks use are completely unnecessary here.

Only 8 ingredients: Grass-fed beef, Organic wine vinegar, Sea salt, Organic black pepper, Organic coriander, Organic red pepper flakes, Organic garlic, Organic paprika
32 grams of protein and 0 grams of sugar per serving
No artificial preservatives, nitrates or nitrites
MSRP $11.99 for a 2 Ounce Bag

Sourcing: Figure Ate Beef Biltong – Original & Spicy

For many of us, we may have heard of the word “biltong” and even eaten some before, but we don’t know exactly what biltong truly is. Figure Ate provides a great explanation for all of us via a passage from one of their blogs:

“The word biltong literally means “strip of beef.” Originally created by the indigenous people of southern Africa over 400 years ago, biltong production is simple and not entirely far off from Ancient Egypt’s “organic” technique. The early Africans cured their meat by salting it and hanging it to air dry. Thus preserving it for consumption at a later date.”

Both the Original and Spicy flavor offer a soft, tender texture with earthy tones of coriander and black pepper (Original flavor) while the Spicy flavor has a hint of heat – “Spiced, not spicy.” Listed below are some other wonderful reasons why you may want to support Figure Ate with a purchase of your very own:

Verified regenerative beef – our ranching partners are dedicated to soil health, biodiversity, and watershed health
Land to Market verified and American Grassfed Association Certified
2023 Good Food Awards Winner

A Word from Figure Ate on the Beef Biltong – Original & Spicy

For a more expanded explanation of the Figure Ate Beef Biltong in their Original and Spicy flavors, we have press statements from Figure Ate on both of their hallmark biltong flavors.

Original

“Experience the taste of our award-winning South African style Beef Biltong: crafted from 100% regeneratively-sourced, grass-fed, and finished beef, marinated in our signature Persimmon Vinegar, tumbled in organic coriander and black pepper, then air-dried for unrivaled freshness and flavor.”

Spicy

“Experience the taste of our award-winning South African style Beef Biltong: crafted from 100% regeneratively sourced, grass-fed, and finished beef, marinated in our signature Persimmon Vinegar and a blend of coriander, peppers, and garlic, then air-dried for unrivaled freshness and a subtle spiced flavor.”

First Impressions & Taste: Figure Ate Beef Biltong – Original

So, with everything we’ve covered, let’s dive into the most important part… how did it taste?! My first impression is that you can see this is real meat. It is not a potentially “mystery meat” that’s been run through a grinder. You can see the striations and layers of the fat and protein. It has the appearance that it was carved off of a larger piece of beef like a Thanksgiving turkey. There is generous seasoning visually present on the biltong as well.

As far as the flavor profile, I did find it somewhat plain yet it had good texture, was soft, and pleasant on your palate. If you let a piece marinate in your mouth for a second you got a better taste of the like flavors and seasoning that Figure Ate uses: organic wine vinegar, sea salt, organic black pepper, and organic coriander. Not overpowering; just subtle. I believe this would be palatable to the widest audience as it is clean tasting, visual attractive, and not over-seasoned. That’s a typical mistake jerky and biltong companies make by over-salting or over-seasoning their products. Not true with Figure Ate.

First Impressions & Taste: Figure Ate Beef Biltong – Spicy

Next, there is the Figure Ate Beef Biltong in their Spicy flavor. When I had some it was exactly as advertised – “spiced, not spicy.” If you really chewed on it for awhile to let the flavors come through, you could taste the organic red pepper flakes, organic garlic, and organic paprika. All of which were light in their enhancement of the biltong. This meat protein snack was equally as soft as the Original flavor and enjoyable to eat. I actually wished it would have been a bit more spicy, but again, I see this as being widely liked by a lot of people because the flavor is not too aggressive in any direction: it’s not flaming hot nor absent of spice.

Final Thoughts

So, what are my final thoughts on the Figure Ate Beef Biltong in their Original and Spicy flavors?… Overall, I enjoyed both of them and I was very attracted to the fact that they do not utilize preservatives like nitrates and nitrites to make their biltong. Those preservatives have been openly linked to cancer and other severe health complications. So, I am always happy to enjoy a healthy snack that is ethically sourced and contains only natural good ingredients. And, Figure Ate checks all of those boxes. At $11.99 it is more expensive than gas station jerky, but a product like this is an investment in your health. This is something I would be willing to buy on my own accord.

In closing, I want to say thank you to Figure Ate for allowing AllOutdoor and myself the opportunity to try out their Figure Ate Beef Biltong in their Original and Spicy flavors. That is greatly appreciated. Also, we would like to know what all of you guys and gals think? Do you believe that the Figure Ate Beef Biltong in their Original and Spicy flavors is something worth spending your money on? Would you take them with you hiking? Camping? On a long road trip? As always, let us know all of your thoughts about Figure Ate, and all of their air-dried, beef biltong flavors like their Original and Spicy options in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.

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Adam Scepaniak