Biltong

Origin of: Biltong

Biltong

Biltong is South African dried/cured meat, similar to American jerky, and was once a staple food for early Dutch pioneers but now considered a treat or delicacy; derives from two 17th century Dutch words: bil meaning rump or buttock and tong meaning tongue, in reference to the tongue-like strips of the meat hung out to dry. The word was used in Afrikaans/Dutch long before 1815, which is the citation given by the OED.