Note: For a recent, live taste review, open Joburg – Traditional Beef Biltong (Review #2).
The first review on Joburg will focus on a 2 ounce/56 gram bag of their Traditional beef biltong. This bag was
ordered online in May 2012.
This Joburg brand of jerky is distributed by Joburg™ Kosher Foods, LLC based out of Merion Station, Pennsylvania. As the son of a South African butcher, David Libesman moved to the USA in 1998. Disappointed with the available selection of Boerewors and Biltong, David started making his own. Soon an overwhelming demand led to the creation of Joburg™ Kosher Foods, LLC. This biltong uses a 40-year old family recipe brought to the U.S. from Johannesburg, or ‘Joburg‘ as the natives call it. All products sold are kosher certified.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Apple Cider Vinegar, Salt, Spices, Brown Sugar.
The beef used is not guaranteed to be free of growth hormones or additional antibiotics. Also, the beef is not guaranteed to have at least partial free range access to graze on grass. As a result, the highest ingredient rating that can be awarded is a Good (8/10) rating.
The only liquid used is super healthy apple cider vinegar. The vague term spices is used, which may mean black pepper, coriander, and possibly cloves.
With only a tiny amount of brown sugar used, the sugar level registers as 0 grams of sugar per 28 grams of biltong. The salt level is quite respectable at only 150mg of salt per 28 grams of biltong.
As advertised, this jerky has no sodium nitrite, or any other similar unhealthy preservatives. Instead, just salt and apple cider vinegar to a lesser extent are used to preserve the jerky. Commendably, this jerky has no MSG added.
Good (8/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
Note: For a recent, live taste review, open Joburg – Traditional Beef Biltong (Review #1) (Review #2).
The only vague taste notes from 2012 was that this flavor tasted good, and had a good dry texture. The ingredient list today has not appeared to change one bit since 2012.
This 2 ounce/56 gram bag cost $6.79, which works out to $3.40 an ounce. That classifies as being an expensive price. While pricey, this certified kosher biltong would have been recommended
Excellent (10/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
This bag has a label affixed to the front, and a small sticker on the back for a batch number. The Joburg logo displays a tree in the sunset.
Their slogan is “Experience the robust taste of South Africa”. Some facts printed on this bag are “Good source of protein”, “No nitrates or nitrites”, “150mg sodium per serving”, “Marinated and Seasoned”, “A snack so satisfying, it’s like a meal!”, “Dried Beef”, “Premium”, “Ready-to-Eat”, “Tastes Great in Soups & Salads”, “Perfect For All Your Travels”, “Made in USA”, and “97% Fat Free”.
This bag displays a “Glatt Kosher” logo, which implies that the meat used had a higher standard of inspection. Specifically, post slaughter, the animal lungs are examined to determine if they are smooth or defect free.
The only missing bag category is a best before date. There is a good blurb printed on the back describing how David Libesman created this brand of biltong. To their credit, both an email address and toll free number are provided for customer inquiries.
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