Droëwors

Droëwors is dried sausage, the air-cured relative of boerewors, and the name means dry sausage in Afrikaans. Thin sausages of beef or lamb with sheep tail fat are seasoned with coriander and spices and hung to dry until they are firm and dark, keeping without refrigeration. The technique belongs to the same tradition as biltong, and both come from the practical problem of preserving meat in a hot climate without cold storage. Dutch settlers brought curing and drying methods that met existing southern African practices of drying game, and coriander and vinegar became the signature of the local result. Thinness matters: droëwors is made in narrow casings precisely so it dries quickly and evenly, before spoilage can begin. Sheep tail fat is the traditional fat and it behaves differently from beef fat, staying stable rather than turning rancid through the drying period. The balance is delicate, since too little fat gives something unpleasantly dry and too much will not cure properly. Coriander is the constant seasoning, with cloves, nutmeg and black pepper in proportions that vary by household, and garlic or chilli appearing in some versions.