Biltong

Biltong is thick strips of meat rubbed with salt, coarse coriander seed, black pepper and often brown sugar, wetted with vinegar, and then hung in moving dry air until they lose most of their water. Nothing is cooked and nothing is smoked, which is the difference between biltong and American jerky - jerky is thin, sweet and dried with heat, biltong is cut thick, tastes of vinegar and coriander, and is usually still soft inside. Beef is standard; game biltong from kudu, springbok, eland and ostrich is common and drier. It is sold sliced or in whole sticks, wet or dry to your preference, and every butcher has an opinion about their cure. The technique predates refrigeration on this continent by centuries and was the practical answer to preserving meat in a dry climate. Droëwors, a thin dried sausage made the same way, sits next to it on every counter.

Highlights

• Not jerky - vinegar-cured, air-dried, cut thick, and never cooked.
• The spice base - coarse coriander, black pepper, salt and vinegar.
• Game varieties - kudu, springbok, eland and ostrich alongside beef.
• Wet or dry - sold to preference, from soft-centred to fully dried through.

When to go

All year. An hour at a good butchery. Ask for a taste before committing to a bag.

Things to know

Supermarket biltong is far worse than a butchery's. Prices are high by weight, particularly for game. Many countries prohibit importing meat products, so it may not travel home. The coriander and vinegar taste surprises people expecting jerky.

Nearby

Farm stalls on any national road; butcheries in every town.