For many South Africans, biltong needs very little introduction.

It’s part road-trip snack, part braai-table staple and part national obsession. But long before you could order a packet online and have it delivered to your door, dried meat served a much more practical purpose.

The story of biltong is closely tied to preservation, travel and life in Southern Africa.

Biltong Began as a Way to Preserve Meat

Before refrigeration, keeping fresh meat edible in Southern Africa’s warm climate was a serious challenge.

According to historical accounts cited in the original article, indigenous peoples of Southern Africa, including the Khoikhoi, preserved meat by cutting it into strips, curing it with salt and hanging it to dry.

Drying removed moisture from the meat and made it possible to keep it for considerably longer than fresh meat.

What began as a practical preservation method eventually developed into one of South Africa’s most recognisable foods.

How the Biltong-Making Process Developed

After European settlers arrived in Southern Africa during the 17th century, the existing meat-preservation methods developed further.

The curing process came to include ingredients such as:

• Salt
• Vinegar
• Pepper
• Coriander
• Cloves

Many of those flavours are still strongly associated with traditional South African biltong today.

The combination of curing, seasoning and air drying helped create something that was both practical for storage and enjoyable to eat.

Biltong and the Great Trek

Biltong became particularly valuable to travellers moving long distances through Southern Africa.

During the Great Trek, wagon-travelling Voortrekkers needed food that could survive long journeys without refrigeration.

Fresh meat spoiled quickly, while dried and cured meat could be packed and carried for much longer.

According to the historical account referenced in the original Shirwood article, meat could take around two weeks to drybefore being ready for packing.

Biltong therefore wasn't simply a snack.

It was durable food for people travelling through a country where refrigeration and convenient food storage simply didn't exist.

Was Biltong Always Made From Beef?

Not at all.

While beef biltong is probably the version most familiar to shoppers today, biltong has historically been made using different types of meat.

The original account mentions meat ranging from:

• Beef
• Game
• Ostrich

The preservation method was more important than the particular animal.

Where meat was available, drying and curing offered a practical way to keep it edible for longer.

Where Does the Word “Biltong” Come From?

The name reflects the food itself.

“Bil” refers to the rump or hindquarter, while “tong” means strip or tongue.

Put together, the name describes the long strips of meat traditionally used when making biltong.

How Biltong Became a South African Favourite

As refrigeration became commonplace, people no longer needed biltong simply as a way of preventing meat from spoiling.

But by then, the flavour and tradition had already become part of South African food culture.

Today, people eat biltong:

• Straight from the packet
• At braais
• On road trips
• In lunchboxes
• On snack boards
• In recipes
• Or simply because the craving arrived

Modern production may be more controlled and convenient, but the basic idea remains recognisable:

Season good meat, cure it and allow time to transform it.

Biltong Today

Modern biltong comes in an enormous range of styles.

Some people prefer it:

Moist. Dry. Lean. Fatty. Plain. Spicy. Chilli.

Others prefer droëwors or thinner biltong sticks for a firmer bite.

That's part of what makes biltong so interesting. A food that started as a practical preservation method has developed into something South Africans can be remarkably particular about.

And there is probably no single correct version.

From Survival Food to South African Tradition

Biltong has travelled a long way from its origins as preserved meat.

What once helped people store food through hot weather and long journeys is now something closely connected with South African food culture.

The equipment has changed.

The packaging has changed.

Getting hold of it is certainly easier.

But good biltong still comes back to the same fundamentals:

meat, seasoning, drying and time.

At Shirwood, we're proud to continue that South African tradition with biltong, droëwors and Snapstix made for the way people enjoy biltong today.

Taste the Tradition

Explore Shirwood sliced biltong, droëwors and Snapstix, available in a range of flavours and pack sizes with nationwide delivery across South Africa.

SHOP BILTONG