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8 reasons to buy Kubdu Biltong

10 March, 2016 / No Comments

WHY SHOULD I JOIN KUBDU BILTONG?

Let us suggest you eight substantial reasons:

Because it´s….made exclusively with PREMIUM VEAL raised at the Catalonian Pyrenees.
Because it´s… a SUPERIOR QUALITY PRODUCT:
1. Grass-fed veal, no hormones, no drugs.
2. Full traceability from raw material to each single bag.
3. We select only top silverside: fresh selected fat-free steaks.
4. Proximity product: low carbon-footprint as we outsource our meat and produce within 40miles range.
5. Our meat is always FRESH, never frozen.
6. HALAL certified making it suitable for muslims.
7. Hand-crafted, piece by piece, bag by bag.

Because it´s…the LATEST TREND in Snacking: New Protein Snack Category that follows the main food trend in Europe: Healthy, Natural & Tasty products. .

Because it´s… PURE INNOVATION: the first worlwide GOURMET & MEDITERRANEAN Biltong. The FUSION of blending the Spanish Meat Culture with the SouthAfrican concept & spices marinated with the prime Mediterranean Modene Balsamic Vinegar.

Because it´s… UNIQUE & ORIGINAL. We are creators and pioneers, we have thought and tested our product. No one does it our way, they will copy us in the near future because ours is the result of almost a year of research and improvement finding out the best product that suits the sophisticated European palate. We decided to break the rules of existing Biltong in order to adapt it to the 21st Century. Fighting upstream against less-convenient existing alternatives and making it possible for consumers to find it in shelves. That´s our aim: to be widespread.

Moreover, as creators, we are commited to innovation thus our innovation pipeline is full of more than 25 fort-coming launches (completely no-existing products) that we aim to launch within the next 3 years.

Because it´s…a VERY HEALTHY product made of::
1. Pure high-biological-value protein (52%). Contains 19 out of the 21 aminoacids.
2. Low in carbs (<3%)
3. Low in fat (<4%)
4. Low in calories (100kcal per 40gr portion)
5. Natural source of Iron & Vitamins B.

Because it´s… indicated for everyone:
1. Gourmands: looking to pamper themselves with something new, tasty and different. Ideal to join a cold beer or a glass of wine.
2. Health-seekers: those following a balanced-diet and concerned about what they eat, away from fat & carb excesses.
3. Diets: ideal for any type of diet, most specially protein-based diets.
4. Kids from 3 to 14 yo: they love it! And so does their mothers as its a very healthy alternative.
5. Sports people: ideal for muscular recovery after sport due to its high quality protein content.
6. Tourists: they love it! Specially contries such as the US, UK or areas like the northern Europe, Middle East or China.

Because it… has been Internationally Awarded and Appraised.
1. SUPERIOR TASTE 2015 award by the prestigious ITQI (International Taste& Quality Institute) composed by more than 15 international schools of chefs & sommeliers.
2. Qualified as the most wine-friendly snack and fostered by the reknown sommelier Ferran Centelles, former sommelier at El Bulli for 10years and qualified as the best national sommelier 2006 and 2011 .
3. Highly valued by the national and internarional press thus present in many magazines, newspapers and food-related press. Published in FOUR magazine (the best world food magazine) and local media such as ElPais, LaVanguardia or SantCugatTV.

5 tips to enjoy even more Kubdu Biltong

23 September, 2015 / No Comments

When we introduce the product to retailers, their first reaction is of surprise. What´s this crazy thing you bring now? Some even ask.

A new category (healthy protein snacks), a new product (= Biltong veal slices or shavings) makes us naturally and in an intuitive way seek for a time of consumption to associate to this product/category. In Spain, where we produce or delicious biltong, we tend to refer to the cecina (a Spanish jerky), but actually it has nothing to do. Jerky is to Biltong the same way a muffin is to a coulant chocolate. Similar raw materials, different process, therefore, different result. Besides the former is smoked beef, cured and salted while the biltong is veal marinated in Modena Balsamic Vinegar (of Rioja grapes), air dried and bathed on spices. At least ours. Pretty much different, dont you think so?

In relation to Jerky (american style dried beef),

Biltong uses prime silverside cuts while Jerky usually uses meat from the cow´s neck.
Biltong is air-dried (30-35ºC) naturally while Jerky is cooked in an oven at about 180ºC for 6hours, thus loosing all its nutritional properties as protein denaturalises above 80ºC.
Jerky tends to add the smoke flavour via artificial flavourings and the taste with sauces such as Teriyaki or others. Biltong´s flavour comes naturally from the meat quality and the blend of selected spices and finally rounded by the soft taste of the Balsamic Vinegar.
Jerky market leader sources its beef frozen for months (and most of Biltong producers as well) while we use only fresh veal from the Pyrenees on a km.0 (low carbon footprint) strategy.
Jerky tends to be chewable while we cut fine thin shavings to suit the sophisticated palate.

But the most suprising part of the product comes on its versatility on How to Eat It:

The obvious option is to open the bag (hey, it’s a bag of premium quality properly sealed so you can´t open it any way!) and eat it as a snack. But what other options do we have? How can we make the most of our Kubdu veal slices? This is a living product that depending on what we do with it will drive your taste toward one side or another.

Here are a few tips:

Try them after 1 hour in the refrigerator. Cooling in the refrigerator not only lengthens a little bit the product life by avoiding of drying, but also helps standardize the flavour and raise spices notes. Especially in the original variety. Specially useful to do in bags which are close to their best before date.
Oxygenate. Like good red wines, it’s worth leaving it to oxygenate minutes or even hours or a few days. Slices enhance its characteristic biltong flavor, lowering the intensity of veal flavour, as it helps the product reaching its zenith of flavor. You can leave it in the fridge oxygenating, it´s so yummy! So do not be afraid to leave your bag opened for a while, the next day you may like it even more!
Powder it. You can not imagine how good Kubdu Biltong tastes after mincing it. Biltong powder enhances its flavor and is ideal for toasts, mozzarella, pizza and salads. Add a few drops of olive oil and then you´ll have it all! Try it and you’ll be surprised.
Don´t cook it. Biltong is about taste and nutrition, thanks to its natural condition unadulterated meat, so if you cook it or boil it it will lose its nourishing and yummy side. You can add it to dishes such as risottos, omelettes, pizzas, gazpacho … but ALWAYS at the end of the cooking process and preparation.
Salads? Yes, please! If you are a salads-lovers its your lucky day as Kubdu Biltong is ideal to spice up your salads. Combine it with fresh products such as dairy products (cheese, mozzarella …), mushrooms or avocado, which provide texture and mild flavor. Do not put key nutrients such as red pepper or carrot as it will diminish the Biltong flavour.

If you do not feel like cooking and want to eat healthy, Kubdu Biltong veal slices are perfect as a snack or use them as protein intake in your salads and dishes.

Finally, as a dry product, we recommend always to match it with a good drink. Either:

· a beer to watch a game of football
· a glass of wine for an evening meal
· or a gin and tonic or combined if we are in party mode.

We kindly invite you to look in detail our wine pairings prepared by Ferran Centelles at our website.

Have you got more ideas? Enjoy and share them with us here or in our social networks.

Bon appétite!

Biltong, a nutritional phenomenon

17 August, 2015 / No Comments

Besides being an incredibly good product, Biltong is a snack that stands out for being light and very healthy.

But how many times have we heard this claim/adjective in ads? It seems that everything nowadays is healthy. At least that´s what manufacturers say.

Let´s take some practical example, foie gras La Piara – a Spanish leading brand. The main benefit they sell is “rich in iron.” Of course, the liver is rich in iron, but do we need to eat a product that is pure fat to incorporate iron in the diet? The answer is no. Lentils or biltong it contain a high intake naturally. The La Piara products try to give the impression of a healthy product due to iron avoiding the speak about what they really is: fat.

Or Kellogg cereals that provide fiber and B vitamins main benefit. It seems a light and healthy product but are actually refined carbohydrates (mostly) with a high-calorie content, since the ration recommended are 30g and we all know that nobody takes only a handful of cereal flours in a bowl in the morning. Again, is it necessary to take as many calories to add B vitamins in the diet? No. There are many products, such as biltong who have it naturally.

As we have seen, communication / advertising can be misleading, if not tendentious. They highlight what they want to show and hide what they dont want you to see. That lacks of honesty to the consumer and so brands needs to be more transparent.

So this section of the blog is dedicated entirely to share ALL relevant nutritional information both speaking evil as good.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION

KuBdu Biltong is mostly pure proteins of high biological value.

The big problem of obesity today is the excess consumption of both fat and no refined sugars.
All marketed snacks are made >90% of carbohydrates and fats. No protein options. Until the arrival of Biltong (dried beef shavings), which are necessary for a balanced diet and proper functioning of the body.

The first thing is to talk about the composition.
In the table below you can observe the average composition of Biltong. As you can see, it stans out for its low caloric value, being pure protein (19 of the 21 essential amino acids) and naturally contain various minerals such as iron and vitamins, especially group B:

Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 19 (2006) NDB No: 2302

This is the most comprehensive nutritional analytics giving you an accurate idea of the nutritional profile of Biltong.

As you can see this is not just a tasty and nutritious snack (free of mechanical/chemical/termical processes) but we are speaking of pure protein: more than 55% pure, raw and natural animal protein that the human body is designed to metabolize with proteases. Mind the virtual absence of carbohydrates and the high content of most of the amino acids (components of proteins) that would not have survived the typical cooking like in Jerky.

There is no product that looks like (or known) it regarding its nutritional profile. We speak of essential amino acids, minerals, vitamins and lipids that can only be obtained by eating meat or fish cooked not buy cans or processed supplements.

However Kubdu Biltong is the only one made with top quality silverside of beef from the Pyrenees. Calves are virtually ecological as they are both grass-fed and eat natural cereals, no use of antibiotics neither hormones, so the quality of the meat is clearly outstanding. Our meat lacks the official BIO certificate just because paying for it would increase the raw material by 50%-100% and so the end retail price would be much hiogher. We prefer to have a product with the same features but without having to pay so much more as we care for your pocket as well.

These features makes our meat so premium that the nutritional profile is even better: more protein and less fat!

Calories: 253kcal/100gr

Proteins 56-57%
Humidity (water content): 27%
Fat: 3,5% (from which saturated 1.7%)
Carbohidratos: 1.6-3.5% (from which sugars 1.6%)
Sodium: 1,5%
Ashes at 550ºC (minerals): 7-8%

Source: analisys Alitest feb2015

The fact of using male calf provides us with more protein and less fat than the original/traditional South African Biltong, plus get a unique texture and flavor.

We have a (small) percentage of carbohydrates since we use some Balsamic Modena Vinegar from red grapes from La Rioja region in maceration for a round and unique flavor. We are unique in the world to do so.

If you have a pack in your hands you will surely see some worse data than the one we have just provided, the reason is simple. We had to print the packs before our final production and therefore we had to use some preliminary data from a production made with female calves (more fat).

In the near future we will be copied by other companies, we know that because this product is soooo good. Therefore you will be offered a similar product of lower quality to be competitive price, but they will never succeed in producing a product as premium as ours as we gather and hold the expertise and knowledge of someone who carries Biltong in his blood. And my personal commitment is to always produce the highest quality, authentic. From the very first moment we have innovated and made something unique and exclusive worldwide that is attracting the interest of many others. We are the pioneers, the brave ones and the ones steering this new category, and all that will be materialized into new and exciting products.

2. WHO REPORT: LINKING THE RED PROCESSED MEAT WITH COLON CANCER

In October 2015, a report written by the WHO linked consumption of red meat processed with the possible development of colon cancer. Thus listing red meat in the same list as tobacco or herbicides.

About that we wanted to state the following:

· Too many different products are grouped under the name of red meat, while there´s huge differences among them in terms of composition, process and metabolic response.
· Kubdu Biltong is a product that is almost non-processed as its a natural maceration and drying threfore neither its structure is altered or subjected to any physical, thermal or chemical artificial process.
· The main binding to colon cancer is the use of nitrites and nitrates as additives, Kubdu Biltong does not use or nitrates or nitrates. As I have explained previously it´s meat, vinegar, spices and additives (mainly include potassium sorbate is an antifungal, and monosodium glutamate as flavor enhancer). Furthermore colon cancer has a high inherited genetic component so the direct implication of this and the diet which triggers the process of cell replication is unknown.
· Meat is one of the pillars of a balanced diet and should be consumed regularly because it brings many benefitial metabolits for the body. However, like all foods should not be abused because everything in excess is bad.

3. THE INGREDIENTS LIST

Biltong is a product that is made with three basic ingredients:

1. premium fresh meat (never frozen) directly from the slaughterhouse.
2. spices
3. vinegar (in our case we use Balsamic Vinegar of Modena)

Spices contain a base of sea salt, black pepper, brown sugar and also herbs such as coriander, paprika or chili that give a special flavor.

The spices are irradiated to ensure their safety. It is a sterilization method that is applied in all the spices on the market.

They also contain additives. The word additive has been demonized much and has been linked directly to bad things and “E” s. The truth is that an additive is no more than a natural or artificial substance added to provide texture (ie.emulsifier), flavor (ie. Flavoring), nutrition (ie. Mineral) or preservation (ie. Preservatives) mainly . All this can be natural or artificial.

What additives containing Kubdu Biltong Original?
· Preservatives: the main one is vinegar (a natural preservative). The preservation is supported by protective atmosphere (lack of oxygen prevents rust and microorganisms reproduction) and the natural effect of salt. It contains no added preservatives!
Potassium sorbate used to avoid the appearance of mold on fresh meat and ensure that microorganisms do not grow during the drying process.
· Natural coloring: caramel
· Flavour enhancer: sodium inosinate and monosodium glutamate. The latter is not very popular in Anglo-Saxon countries, although widely used throughout the food industry. Therefore we are working on replacing it soon by one completely harmless.
· Stabilizer: silicon dioxide and ribonucleotides. Spices served to not agglomerate and stabilize the spice mixture.
· Natural antioxidant: citric acid. It serves to prevent the product / spices rancidity.

What additives containing Kubdu Biltong Spicy?

· Preservatives: the main one is vinegar (a natural preservative). The preservation is supported by protective atmosphere (lack of oxygen prevents rust and microorganisms reproduction) and the natural effect of salt. It contains no added preservatives! Sodium diacetate serves for protecting the spices.
Potassium sorbate used to avoid the appearance of mold on fresh meat and ensure that microorganisms do not grow during the drying process.
· Stabilizers.
· Natural antioxidant: citric acid. It serves to prevent the product / spices rancidity. The bell is easy to rancidity and that is why it has natural antioxidants such as alpha-tocopherol, BHA and BHT are artificial preservatives which are looking to replace soon by other natural.

All additives meet the applicable European directives and are commonly used in the food industry. They are used in very small quantities to assure stability and homogeneity of the product.

We try to work always with natural additives, and those who are artificial are being replaced to ensure 100% satisfaction of our consumers, remaining true to our values.

4. THE NUTRITIONAL TRAFFIC LIGHT

Our nutritional traffic light is privileged.

How does it work? It compares the composition with the recommended daily allowance (RDA) or Recommended Intake (IR) which is 2.000kcal for a woman (and 2.500kcal for a man. An athlete would consume about 4.000kcal)

The colour of the traffic light indicates (by a green, orange or red light) the percentage contained in each serving (40g in this case our single consumption bag) considering the IR.

Between 0-7% of the IR will be green, orange will be between 7-25% and over 25% will be red.

In our case, what it shows is that our product is LOW IN CALORIES, LOW IN CARBS and LOW IN FAT content.

Like any salty snack, our salt content is moderate (orange). We are working on reducing salt without prejudice of the flavour to apply it shortly.

5. ALLERGENS

Kubdu Biltong Original is a product that does not contain allergens, as it is made of meat, spices and vinegar.
Kubdu Biltong Spicy contains two allergens: Celery and mustard.

This product should be labeled gluten-free, lactose-free, eggs-free and soy-free. However we are obliged by law to put that it may contain traces of all of them. The reason is because the company that packages the spices in SouthAfrica, has a line in the factory where they pack spices blends containing these allergens. Hygienic and productive measures to prevent cross-contamination have been strictly implemented, but legally it is not enough to say that do not contain these allergens.

We performed random testing of gluten and lactose in our Biltong and all results have been negative so far.
Additionally, our product is HALAL certified by HALAL FOOD QUALITY INSTITUTE. This involves the slaughter and that the product contains no trace of pork.

I hope this information has been interesting enough and thorough.
If you have any questions, write a comment or hallo@kubdu.com

Biltong Omelette

2 March, 2015 / No Comments

INGREDIENTS

30gr of Kubdu Biltong Original
2 free range eggs
1/2 red onion
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
15gr emmental cheese (optional)
2 sliced mushrooms (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Wisk the eggs in a bowl. Add the Kudu biltong slices and keep beating so it mixes well.
Place the chopped onion on a fryingpan with hot olive oil.
Put the bowl content into the frying pan and let it cook for 30-60 seconds.
Meanwhile use a spatula to ensure the tips dont get sticked and afterwards fold the omelette to get the inner part juice and tender. Before closing you can add any extra ingredient you wish.
Cook slightly in both sides and serve in a plate. Ready to be eaten.