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Biltong
Biltong is a form of air-dried, cured meat which originated in Southern Africa. Various types of meat are used to produce it, ranging from beef to game meats such as ostrich or kudu. The cut may also vary being either fillets of meat cut into strips following the grain of the muscle, or flat pieces sliced across the grain. It is related to beef jerky, as both are spiced, dried meats; however, the typical ingredients, taste, and production processes may differ. Biltong is air-dried, which gives it a unique texture and flavor, whereas jerky is heated to at least 71 °C (160 °F).
The word "biltong" is from the Afrikaans bil ("buttock") and tong ("strip" or "tongue").
Meat preservation as a survival technique dates back to ancient times.
Meat can be preserved by curing it in salt, brine, or vinegar as well as saltpetre (potassium nitrate). Potassium nitrate kills Clostridium botulinum, the deadly bacterium that causes botulism, while the acidity of vinegar inhibits its growth. According to the World Health Organization, C. botulinum will not grow in acidic conditions (pH less than 4.6), and so the toxin will not be formed in acidic foods.
The antimicrobial properties of certain spices have also been drawn upon since ancient times. The spices introduced to biltong by the Dutch include pepper, coriander, and cloves.
According to local lore, biltong was originally made in the 17th century by Dutch pioneers who would place large strips of raw meat under horses' saddles to dry with the horses' salty sweat. This salty sweat preserved the meat while also tenderizing it from the shocks of riding. This "drying" process helped to provide a reliable and rich source of protein that would keep for months. This is unlikely, however, as the use of horses did not begin until the systematized colonization of South Africa.Others speculate that the early Dutch settlers simply adopted a local indigenous custom of preserving meat.
In January 2017, a research group at the University of Beira Interior in Portugal published a study about the antimicrobial properties of coriander oil (coriander being one of the main spices in the most basic of biltong recipes) against 12 bacterial strains, and found that 10 of the 12 strains of bacteria were killed with a relatively mild concentration of coriander oil (1.6%). In the two strains which were not effectively killed, Bacillus cereus and Enterococcus faecalis, the coriander oil reduced their growth significantly.
The need for food preservation in Southern Africa was pressing. Iceboxes and refrigerators had not been invented yet, and building up herds of livestock took a long time. With game in abundance in Southern Africa, however, traditional methods were called upon to preserve the meat of large African animals including the eland.
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Biltong
Biltong is a form of air-dried, cured meat which originated in Southern Africa. Various types of meat are used to produce it, ranging from beef to game meats such as ostrich or kudu. The cut may also vary being either fillets of meat cut into strips following the grain of the muscle, or flat pieces sliced across the grain. It is related to beef jerky, as both are spiced, dried meats; however, the typical ingredients, taste, and production processes may differ. Biltong is air-dried, which gives it a unique texture and flavor, whereas jerky is heated to at least 71 °C (160 °F).
The word "biltong" is from the Afrikaans bil ("buttock") and tong ("strip" or "tongue").
Meat preservation as a survival technique dates back to ancient times.
Meat can be preserved by curing it in salt, brine, or vinegar as well as saltpetre (potassium nitrate). Potassium nitrate kills Clostridium botulinum, the deadly bacterium that causes botulism, while the acidity of vinegar inhibits its growth. According to the World Health Organization, C. botulinum will not grow in acidic conditions (pH less than 4.6), and so the toxin will not be formed in acidic foods.
The antimicrobial properties of certain spices have also been drawn upon since ancient times. The spices introduced to biltong by the Dutch include pepper, coriander, and cloves.
According to local lore, biltong was originally made in the 17th century by Dutch pioneers who would place large strips of raw meat under horses' saddles to dry with the horses' salty sweat. This salty sweat preserved the meat while also tenderizing it from the shocks of riding. This "drying" process helped to provide a reliable and rich source of protein that would keep for months. This is unlikely, however, as the use of horses did not begin until the systematized colonization of South Africa.Others speculate that the early Dutch settlers simply adopted a local indigenous custom of preserving meat.
In January 2017, a research group at the University of Beira Interior in Portugal published a study about the antimicrobial properties of coriander oil (coriander being one of the main spices in the most basic of biltong recipes) against 12 bacterial strains, and found that 10 of the 12 strains of bacteria were killed with a relatively mild concentration of coriander oil (1.6%). In the two strains which were not effectively killed, Bacillus cereus and Enterococcus faecalis, the coriander oil reduced their growth significantly.
The need for food preservation in Southern Africa was pressing. Iceboxes and refrigerators had not been invented yet, and building up herds of livestock took a long time. With game in abundance in Southern Africa, however, traditional methods were called upon to preserve the meat of large African animals including the eland.