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South African BBQIn SA, a BBQ is called a Braai and Here's What's on the Menu
Wors or sausage in Afrikaans comes in many shapes and styles. A few favourites that you can buy fresh or order online, plus a mini-tutorial from our resident sausage guy.
In honour of South Africa’s BBQ Day (or Braai Day as they call it), spearheaded by Archbishop Desmond Tutu no less, today we offer a little South African Wors 101 tutorial, thanks to my resident sausage guru, Mario Stojanac. As an interesting aside, Archbishop Tutu believes the South African favourite past-time of Braai’ing your lunch or dinner is a “unifying force in a divided country.” Braai Day, which also happens to be the country’s National Heritage Day, will be celebrated this September 24th. In a recent BBC online piece, Tutu was quoted as saying, "We've shown the world a few things. Let's show them that ordinary activities like eating can unite people of different races, religions, sexes... short people, tall people, fat people, lean people." Without further ado, here is Mario Stojanac’s mini-Wors Tutorial, along with my notes where you can buy some of your own at the end. Boerewors or Farmer's SausageBoerewors (Boo-ra-vohrs): Literally translated as ‘farmers’ sausage’, this is predominantly a beef sausage though has been made with a blend of pork and lamb. The meat is usually spiced with a combination of coriander seed, pepper, nutmeg and cloves, though proud farmers and butchers will often keep the exact recipe a secret. The sausages are best when barbecued (or braaied in South African jargon), though watch the eyebrows as the fat content can make these pretty volatile. I like to let the fat run off so that I don’t feel too guilty about consuming these. Similar in thickness to Bratwurst, this sausage is usually found in long coils about a foot long. A popular thinner version of boerewors is also available sometimes, and a popular alternative to the beef in these instances is the mutton wors. Droewors or Dry SausageDroewors (Droo-uh-vohrs): Literal translation is ‘dry sausage’ and hails back to the days of the Afrikaner great trek inland from coastal Cape Town. Protein was important and refrigeration non-existent, so this is essentially an air-dried version of the thinner beef boerewors. These days, though no trekking takes place without coffee and lunch pit stops, droewors (and its omnipresent companion biltong – see below) is a massively popular snack food, especially when rabid rugby fans cheer on the Springboks. BiltongBiltong: Derived from the old Dutch words bil (rump) and tong (strip). This is mainly made from beef (primarily the silverside cut) but is also made from wild game (buck and ostrich) and even shark, and needs dry conditions in order to prevent the onset of mould. It is similar in concept to beef jerky, but the ingredients used (coriander seeds, rock salt, pepper and vinegar) give it s distinctive flavour. Sometimes, these are also flavoured with peri-peri (Portuguese chilli rub) for an additional kick. Biltong is a massively popular (and the ultimate) snack food throughout South Africa, and is served either in chewy chunks or very thinly sliced. A powdered version is sometimes even sprinkled over salads (really). A note about Biltong- even non-South Africans seem to love the dried meat for its subtle spicing and savoury flavour. Mario and our good friend Basil (his best friend’s dad in SA) ate through copious amounts of the stuff on a drive from Johannesburg to the Kruger National Park. Suffice it to say, Basil got a bout of gout. Yes, it seems you can have too much of a good thing! For those who live in the Greater Toronto Area and want to buy the meats mentioned above in person (or online if you’re not near us), two of our best options are Eat Sum More in Thornhill, Ontario or Florence Meats in Oakville, Ontario. Friendly service, lots of treats from SA including Appletizers, Provitas and Tennis Biscuits as well as all the Braai-ables you can get your mitts on!
The copyright of the article South African BBQ in Food Trends is owned by Mary Luz Mejia. Permission to republish South African BBQ in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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