Understanding The History Of Droewors

Across the globe, various dishes are specific to a region. Droewors are a traditional dish primarily found in South Africa. It can be pronounced as drywors, droe wors, and even droëwors. Droe means dry, and wors means sausage. The literal meaning of this dish is dry sausage.

What Is This Dry Sausage?

It is a traditional meat snack found in South African areas. The history of this dish is a hundred years old. This dish was traditionally prepared with the prime ingredient as beef, which is flavored with spices usually found in South Africa, and then it is air-dried. This dish suits the warm atmosphere of South Africa.

History

Back in the nineteenth century, during the great trek, the migrating dutches needed durable food. They required a store of food that could be transported easily and made from little inventory. As there were no options for preservation, curing the meat was the only option. It helped in preserving the meat and prolonging its shelf life. These dried sausages (in the stick formation) were handy and a great solution to the food problem. It also was a good food option and could be taken along on adventurous expeditions as it gave the hunters strength. The food historians thus say that its actual recipe comes from either pole of America. It comes from either the tribes of America or ancient Incas. But, the recipe given by Dutch is the first record for this tasty snack.

Significant Difference

-Boerewors vs droëwors

The coriander species boerewors also have been based on droewors. Both of them are popular but still have fundamental differences like:

  • Boerewors are made with beef and pork fat, whereas droëwors are traditionally made from beef.
  • Boerewors are thicker and need refrigeration and cooking to be relished.
  • Boerewors can be cooked over charcoal, oven-roasted, or pan-fried. While droëwors are enjoyed just after curing.

-Droëwors vs Biltong

Both the dishes share common ingredients and roots. They were also made by the same people simultaneously. They are made with similar meats and spices, but there is one significant difference in them.

  • Droëwors are thin and round sausages. Biltong is usually a slab of beef cut into thin slices.

Process

Currently, this dish is made with a variety of meats like lamb, ostrich, etc. Its traditional process involved the following things.

  • It was made with beef, infused with some of the aromatic spices like coriander, black pepper, nutmeg, vinegar, salt, etc.
  • It could also be flavored with garlic, chili, and peppers.
  • These ingredients were then collected, blended, and pressed in a casing (usually of sheep or collagen) and then made into thin sausages.
  • Afterward, it is hung and left for a week to be air-dried.

This dish is now available in different varieties. But, the thinner sausage is preferred by consumers. It’s so as the thinner sausage has greater portability and is a go-to snack.

Takeaway

Multiple brands currently sell this tasty snack. While it is traditionally from a different country, every meat lover wants to try it once. With so many current varieties, the chances are that you might not try an authentic one.

To have the real taste, you need to try one that is fresh. But with the current refrigeration technology, storing it is possible that makes it easily accessible. It still is a tasty and high-protein snack that everyone loves. As these contain aromatic spices, there are different combinations made. One should, therefore, look for something that they like while ordering one from any place.

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