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African animal scenes to show sources of biltong - giraff, elephant, kudu, ostrich & zebra

A Brief History of Biltong

a brief history of biltong

The word “biltong” comes from an Afrikaans amalgamation of two Dutch words: “bil” translates as rump, buttock or hindquarter, while “tong” means strip, or tongue. So - the dictionary definition of biltong is: “lean meat which is salted and dried in strips”. 

However, biltong is much more than just strips of meat. Its story is woven into the history of humankind and illustrates our innate ability for survival under the toughest conditions. Here we take a quick look at its South African origins...

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