Long before refrigerators, vacuum packs, or preservatives, people across southern Africa had already mastered the art of preserving meat. Biltong — the word itself comes from the Dutch bil (buttock) and tong (strip or tongue) — is one of the world's oldest and most beloved preserved foods, with roots stretching back hundreds of years.
Origins on the African Continent
The story of biltong begins with the indigenous peoples of southern Africa, who developed techniques for drying and preserving meat long before European settlers arrived. The San and Khoikhoi peoples would cure game meat with salt and dry it in the open air — a practical solution to the challenge of storing food in a hot climate without refrigeration.
The Dutch Influence
When Dutch settlers (the Voortrekkers) arrived in the Cape of Good Hope in the 17th century, they brought with them European curing traditions — salt, vinegar, and spices like coriander and black pepper. These were combined with the indigenous drying methods already in use, and the result was something remarkable: a preserved meat that could survive long journeys, harsh conditions, and the test of time.
Coriander, toasted and cracked, became the defining spice of biltong — a flavour so iconic it's now inseparable from the product itself.
The Great Trek
Biltong truly came into its own during the Great Trek of the 1830s and 1840s, when thousands of Boer settlers moved inland across southern Africa. Carrying livestock wasn't always practical, but carrying biltong was. It was lightweight, protein-dense, and required no cooking. It became the fuel of a nation on the move.
From the Veld to the World
For most of the 20th century, biltong remained a southern African staple — beloved in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and beyond, but largely unknown elsewhere. That changed with the South African diaspora, which spread biltong to the UK, Australia, the US, and across Europe.
Today, biltong is one of the fastest-growing snack categories in the UK — prized for its high protein content, minimal ingredients, and bold, natural flavour. It's the original clean-label snack, centuries before "clean eating" was a trend.
Peninsula Biltong: Tradition Meets Craft
At Peninsula Biltong, we honour that heritage with every batch. No shortcuts, no fillers — just quality meat, traditional spicing, and time. The same principles that kept Voortrekkers going across the African veld now fuel athletes, professionals, and snack lovers across the UK.
Some things are worth doing the old way.
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