Boerewors is another inheritance from our pioneering forefathers
who used to combine minced meat and cubed spek (pork and/or beef
fat) with spices and preservatives (vinegar) which were freely
available from the then Cape Colony.
During their trek through the hinterland large quantities of
wors would be made during their outspan (stopover) and that which
could not be eaten would be hung to dry and taken along for
sustenance as they continued their explorations.
In the decades that followed this type of wors gradually evolved
and the term "Boerewors" became entrenched in our culture.
Up until the early 1960's boerewors in South Africa was know
only as boerewors and by no other name. Thousands of butchers vied
with each other to produce, in their opinion, the best "boeries"
you could find anywhere. Competition was fierce, the consumer was
happy! The unique taste of boerewors was enhanced by making
adjustments to the quantities of the traditional ingredients used.
Some masterful "boeries" was, and still is, produced with the
creators jealously guarding the mix of their magic potions.
From the 60's onward however, the character of the traditional
boerewors taste was experimented with by entrepreneurs who added a
host of additional flavours to the boerewors taste. Copious
quantities of barbecue spice, onion, tomato, garlic, cheese,
chillies, peppers, chicken and, you name it, were added in order to
diversify the taste of the good old "boeries". On the market was
now garlic wors, chilli wors, cheese wors, chicken wors etc. etc.
Many consumers, naturally, enjoyed these variations. Others,
obviously, called it sacrilege. These additions to the taste of
boerewors had, however, come to stay and are still freely available
today.
The 60's, unfortunately, also experienced the advent of inferior
quality boerewors that was sold at bargain prices to the poor but
contained inferior ingredients. Although the traditional and "new
type" spices were still used, inferior meat such as offal, bone
meal and soya became the main ingredients. To contain this mixture
the thickest possible sausage casings were used in order to avoid
the wors from rupturing during cooking.
Public outcry soon curtailed the production of this boerewors
abomination as the perception that "cheap wors is bad wors" soon
resulted in this product not moving from the retail shelves.
Unfortunately, to this very day, a boerewors producer will tempt
the bargain hunter with inferior wors.
The secret in the making of good boerewors lies in the quality
of the ingredients used. The better the quality of the meat the
better tasting the boerewors.
