Biltong

Nov. 4, 2020

Immanuel Kant is known to have lived a very structured daily life. Some of it is said to have been spent on writing. When I learned this habit of the great thinker, I decided to try to make time to write a short essay before going to work. It won't work if I choose a topic totally irrelevant to my work. So I've decided to write about something that directly relates to a lesson I'm teaching on the day of writing. 

My topic therefore is Biltong. What is biltong?  Simply put, it's meat dried in the sun. It's originally from South Africa. But it is said that all the food shows are raving about it! Of course, that's the case in the US, so I'm not surprised if you've never heard of it,  born and raised in Japan where I write this now. 

Anyhow, I did some research on Biltong, and discovered a few interesting facts. I'm going to share them. 

<Similar to Beef Jerky But Different>

When I say beef dried in the sun, the first thing that comes to your mind is probably beef jerky. You may react by saying, "Hey, what's the different?" In fact, they are not so different from each other, except that beef jerky is cut first, and then dried while biltong is cured and dried, and then cut into pieces. 

<Comes in Different Cuts>

Biltong, according to a website, comes in a couple of different cuts. Most typically, it's cut along the grain of the muscle into strips. However, a rump may be cut across the grain into flat slices.

<The Most Interesting Origin>

The most fascinating fact about biltong, though, is who made it. In fact, it was made by Dutch people living in South Africa. Why did they made it? Well, in the early 19th century there was a large migration of Dutch people in South Africa who were oppressed by invading British people. During this great migration Dutch people needed food that lasted during a long journey of survival. That's the origin of biltong. 

All foods have some kind of history behind them. You may want to do your own research on some of your favorite foods. You may find something interesting.