Boerewors facts for kids
Raw boerewors
|
|
| Place of origin | South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe , Botswana |
|---|---|
| Main ingredients | Minced meat |
Boerewors (say it like BOO-ruh-vors) is a special type of sausage that comes from South Africa. It's a really important part of the food in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia. People all over Southern Africa love it!
The name "Boerewors" comes from two Afrikaans words: boer which means "farmer," and wors which means "sausage." So, it's like "farmer's sausage."
To be called Boerewors in South Africa, it has to follow some rules. It must be at least 90% meat. This meat is usually beef, but it can also have lamb, pork, or a mix of both. The other 10% is made up of delicious spices and other ingredients. It can't have too much fat, and it definitely can't have any strange parts like offal or mechanically recovered meat.
Contents
What is Boerewors Made Of?
Boerewors is made from meat that's been coarsely minced (chopped into small pieces). This is usually beef, but sometimes it's mixed with pork or lamb.
It gets its special taste from different spices. These often include toasted coriander seed, black pepper, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice.
Like many sausages, Boerewors has a good amount of fat. It's kept fresh using salt and vinegar. Then, it's packed into sausage casings. Traditional Boerewors is usually rolled into a long, continuous spiral shape.
People often eat Boerewors with pap. This is a traditional South African porridge made from mielie-meal (cornmeal). Boerewors is also very popular in Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. You'll even find it in South African communities around the world!
Longest Boerewors Ever!
Did you know Boerewors holds a world record? On May 3, 2014, South Africa broke the Guinness World Record for the longest Boerewors ever braaied (grilled).
This amazing sausage was 1,557.15 meters (about 5,108 feet) long! That's longer than 15 football fields! After it was grilled, the Boerewors was given away for free to homes for older people and an orphanage.
How to Cook and Eat Boerewors
The most traditional way to cook Boerewors is to braai it. This means grilling it over charcoal or wood. But you can also cook it under an electric grill, roast it in an oven, or fry it in a pan.
When you cook Boerewors, it's important not to poke holes in its casing. If you do, the sausage might dry out.
A popular way to eat Boerewors is in a "boerewors roll," or simply a "boerie." This is like a hot dog, where a piece of Boerewors is put into a hot dog bun. It's often served with a tasty tomato, chili, and onion relish or chakalaka. Some people also enjoy Boerewors in a stew, served with mashed potatoes or pap.
Different Kinds of Boerewors
There are many different kinds of Boerewors! Some popular ones include:
- Garlic wors (with extra garlic)
- Kameeldoring (named after the camel thorn tree)
- Karoowors (from the Karoo region in South Africa)
- Spekwors (made with extra cubes of pork fat)
Other kinds might even have cheese or chili peppers added for extra flavor.
You can also find similar sausages made from the meat of different animals, like kudu or springbok. However, these can't be called "Boerewors" unless they are at least 75% beef, lamb, or pork. Instead, they are named after the main type of meat they contain. If a sausage has meat from different types of game animals, it must be called a "sausage" and list all the game species in it.
Boerewors doesn't stay fresh for long without being refrigerated. But there's a dried version called droëwors. It's made in a similar way to biltong (dried meat). Droëwors has become a very popular snack on its own!
Recently, with more people choosing plant-based foods, you can even find vegan versions of Boerewors. These are often made by smaller companies and sold in stores and food markets in South Africa.
Boerewors Competitions
Cooking and grilling Boerewors is a real art! Many local, regional, and national competitions are held to find the best Boerewors.
The Shoprite supermarket chain even has an annual competition. They look for the best new Boerewors recipes. The person who wins this competition gets their special Boerewors made and sold in all Checkers stores across the country, under the "Championship Boerewors" brand.
See also
In Spanish: Boerewors para niños
