Biltong is a variety of cured meat that originated in South Africa. Various types of meat are used to produce it, ranging from beef and game meats to fillets of ostrich from commercial farms. It is typically made from raw fillets of meat cut into strips following the grain of the muscle, or flat pieces sliced across the grain. It is similar to beef jerky in that they are both spiced, dried meats.
The typical ingredients, taste and production processes differ, the main difference being that biltong is usually thicker (from cuts up to 1″ (25 mm) thick), while jerky is rarely more than 1/8″ (3 mm) thick. Also, biltong does not have a sweet taste.The word biltong is from the Dutch bil (“rump”) and tong (“strip” or “tongue”).
Indigenous South African peoples such as the Khoikhoi developed a preparation method to preserve meat without refrigeration. After European settlers (Dutch, German, French) arrived in southern Africa in the early 17th century, they learned how to cure and dry meat from the indigenous South Africans. Preparation involved applying vinegar and rubbing the strips of meat with a mixture of salts and spices including pepper and cloves.
The need for preservation in the new colony was pressing. Building up herds of livestock took a long time but with indigenous game in abundance, traditional methods were available to preserve large masses of meat such as found in the eland in a hot climate. Iceboxes and fridges had not been invented yet.
The most common ingredients of biltong are:
- Meat
- Black pepper
- Corainder
- Salt
- Sugar or Brown sugar
- Vinegar
Modern-day ingredients sometimes added include: balsamic vinegar or malt vinegar, dry ground chilli peppers, nutmeg, garlic,bicarbonate of soda, Worcestershire sauce, and onion powder.
Traditional Cuisine Around The World 