BILTONG is a form of dried, cured meat that originated in Southern Africa

Meat preservation as a survival technique dates back to ancient times. European settlers (Dutch, German, French) who arrived in southern Africa in the early 17th century used vinegar in the curing process. The acidity of the vinegar inhibits the growth of bacteria and ferments the dried meat. According to the World Health Organization, C. botulinum will not grow in acidic conditions; therefore the toxin will not be formed in acidic foods. The spices introduced to biltong by the Dutch include pepper, coriander, and cloves.

The need for food preservation in South Africa was pressing. Building up herds of livestock took a long time, but with game in abundance in South Africa, traditional methods were called upon to preserve the meat of large. Iceboxes and refrigerators had not been invented yet. Biltong as it is today evolved from the dried meat carried by wagon-travelling Voortrekkers, who needed stocks of durable food as they migrated from the Cape Colony north and north-eastward (away from British rule) into the interior of Southern Africa during the Great Trek. The meat was prepared with vinegar and spices to be hung for a few fortnights to dry. Once suitably dried the biltong was ready for packing in cloth bags which allowed air circulation to help prevent mould.

DROËWORS (dry sausage) is a Southern African snack food, based on the traditional, coriander-seed spiced boerewors sausage.

The recipe used for dried sausage are very similar to that of boerewors, except is has no pork meat included. Drying makes the sausage ideal for unrefrigerated storage. Droëwors is slow dried and not rushed, which gives it its unique texture. A further difference is that droëwors does not contain a curing agent as found in a traditional cured sausage. A direct result of this is that droëwors should not be kept in moist conditions as mold can begin to form more easily than would happen with a cured sausage.