Biltong started at the Cape, where indigenous people's salt-cured game met the spices the Dutch brought on their trade routes. It is now what agricultural economist Wandile Sihlobo calls a "massive industry", sold at petrol stations, township butchers and rugby stadiums. It is also going global. A growing diaspora and the demand for protein-rich food have helped new brands open from Berlin and Brooklyn to Hong Kong and Singapore, some selling peri-peri and mushroom versions. The Economist also notes that biltong crosses racial lines, with Zulu, Ndebele and Venda versions. Just don't call it jerky: biltong is air-dried slowly, and South Africans say it is worth the wait..From The Economist, published under licence. The original article can be found on www.economist.com© 2025 The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved..The Economist.“It all started in 1652,” explains Greg White, as he smooths the creases from his apron. The meat connoisseur could be talking about South Africa. The country’s modern history began that year, when Jan van Riebeeck of the Dutch East India Company settled in what would become Cape Town. But he is referring to biltong, a quintessentially South African cured meat. On September 24th, Heritage Day, South Africans will munch on the savoury snack as they celebrate their country’s cultures.Today biltong is a “massive industry”, says Wandile Sihlobo, an agricultural economist. Beef is the standard meat, but there are versions using ostrich, springbok, wildebeest and kudu. The chewy shards and cheaper “snap sticks” are sold at petrol stations, township butchers and rugby stadiums. Wineries offer biltong pairings. Teething babies are given biltong to soothe gums. “Other than Trevor Noah,” says Anna Trapido, a food writer, “it’s the one thing all South Africans agree on.”And, like the South African-born comedian, biltong is becoming famous worldwide. A growing diaspora and hunger for protein are driving demand. New brands are popping up everywhere from Berlin and Brooklyn to Hong Kong and Singapore. Firms are trying new flavours like peri-peri and plant-based versions (mushroom is a common vegan substitute).It is the familiar story of a modern twist on an old foodstuff. When the Dutch arrived in the Cape they found indigenous people preserving game with salt and drying it in the open air. The newcomers added vinegar and spices from their Asian trade routes—cloves, black pepper and coriander seeds. Biltong, a fusion of bil (buttock, a reference to the cut) and tong (tongue or strip), was born. In the 19th century Boers, as those of mainly Dutch heritage were then known, left the British-run Cape for the hinterland. Their story and that of biltong became entwined when they took it on the “Great Trek”.Though biltong is often seen as a “white” snack, dried meat transcends race. There are many variants of biltong in black cuisine (it is called umqwayiba in isiZulu). Some Ndebele people use dried apricots in their version. Vendas brush the meat with marula oil. Dried meat is widely added to stews to give them an umami flavour..Read more:.South Africa considers 50% tariffs to protect local car industry.Biltong aficionados emphasise that it is not the same thing as jerky. “We don’t use that word in this house,” says Lindie White, Greg’s wife and co-host of a make-your-own-biltong session your correspondent recently joined. The American product is often drenched in sugar. Jerky is also the snack of an impatient nation: it is subjected to a massive hair dryer to speed dehydration. Biltong, by contrast, reflects the idea of “Africa time” that can frustrate visitors to the continent; it is air-dried and, local butchers explain, will be ready “now-now” (ie, later). It is well worth the wait. .Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox every morning on weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa's bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here.
