What is Biltong?
Biltong(recipe) is South African dried meat (mainly Beef or Game)Which is then
marinated with rock salt (course salt) and coarse black pepper, coarse ground coriander and vinegar, then air-dried. Biltong
is typically made from long, broad fillets of choice meat and can be cut into long strips following the grain of the muscle, or more commonly flat pieces sliced across the grain.
It is similar to charki or jerky (but much, much better)Biltong arose from travelling Voortrekkers whose only way to preserve
meat was to dry it. This provided a sustainable source of food as the Dutch settlers made the Great Trek from the Cape into the
interior of South Africa. Biltong is distinct from jerky in being air-dried rather than smoked or heated. It is typically dried out
in the cold night air (rural settings), dry boxes (urban) or refrigerated chill rooms (commercial). A variation of biltong is the dry sausage,
Droe Wors(recipe),
thin strings of sausage dried in the same manner and similar to Cabonnosi.
Due to its distinctive taste and lengthy preparation procedure, biltong has become a delicacy and is enjoyed as a savoury snack
at social gatherings, in particular Rugby matches.
Biltong is a common product of Southern African butcheries, and can be bought in grocery stores in the form of finger-wide stripes
(called "sticks") intended for slow chewing. Its popularity is slowly spreading, and it is now available from specialist
meat suppliers in many other countries. This of course includes our site
The word is derived from Dutch bil - rump, and tong - strip.