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Category: News
July 2006
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Keerbergen
Belgium July 20, 2006 ![]() Welcome to our newsletter for July! You must have been wondering what happened to me this month. It is already the 20th and no sign of the newsletter yet! Well, I have been wondering myself where all the time has gone to. It has been June and now July is almost finished. What happened to the first half of this year? Is life really that hectic that we can no longer make time for a bit of relaxation or is it just a case of us not able to manage our lives properly? Personally I fall in that last category. I must simply start taking time to do just nothing. Now, for those who know me, this will be a huge task if not totally impossible because I cannot simply sit around and do nothing. But I can at least give it a good try! I am sitting in my study overlooking the road in front of the house right now with the windows wide open to let in the small breeze that is blowing at the moment. It is hot here in Belgium, very hot in fact. Last night when I was walking around on the outside the thermometer read 36C. And that was at 7pm in the shade!! It has been like this for the past 4-6 weeks now and it does not seem that it will go away. Coming from South Africa you would think that I was used to the heat but boy, is this murder! Back in Linbro Park we at least had our pool! We thought about getting one of these small ones just to sit in to cool down but what is the use. Murphy says that the moment we buy one and have it all ready to go the weather will change and it will be just a hassle to keep clean. I suppose we are never happy. It’s always either too cold or too hot. But then again I keep on saying that you can dress against the cold but you can’t dress against the heat!
The cooling system was fixed immediately but I did not notice that the aircon was broken as well since one so seldom uses it. How I wish it was working right now and I cannot even have it fixed because the garage is closed for the holidays and we can’t get spares.
I will show some of the pictures next month. Hey, I am not going to carry on for long this month. There is so much already in this edition of our newsletter for you to read and enjoy! It is holiday time now and I am taking a break as well. The next issue of our newsletter will be at the end of August. Please send in your contributions for that edition and let us try and make it a bumper one. Tell us all about your holidays or about the so very cold winter you are having in the southern parts of this world. Anything is always very welcome. Take care and we will speak soon. Lo
“If we take care of the moments, the years will take care of themselves.”
-Mary Edgeworth-“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” -Sir Winston Churchill-
This should probably be taped to your bathroom mirror where you could read it every day.
And always remember ……. when life hands you lemons, ask for tequila and salt and call me over!
I discovered a web site that explains in detail how bad crime is in South Africa today. This was going to be the topic for the main story for this month. But, we have enough bad news already every single day of our lives. So, while there is a lot of truth in what is written about the crime rate and how the government does not want to release true crime figures, this month it is neither the time nor the place to discuss this in depth. Instead let’s try to forget for a moment about the bad things happening all around us every day and let us indulge in a bit of laughter and fun. Nico Botha made us laugh last year and he will do so again this year. I am sorry for all those people who don’t speak Afrikaans but this is not a story one can even attempt to translate. It just would not do justice to it. So, by popular request here is once again the story of “Die Vlêrmuis” One Friday night, somewhere in Australia ………. This is a true story by Nico Botha. Hier is ‘n stukkie wat julle heerlik sal laat lag!
“Die vlêrmuis en die dronk “Bierman”!
My klomp Aussie bure is mos van die meer begeesterde tipe mense wat hou van ‘n geleentheid om ‘n “partie” te hou en dan word die pensklavier, kitaar en ander instrumente stoep toe gesleep en dan moet ek “Walzing Matilda” hoor in 600 variasies van dronkenskap! So ‘n ruk gelede was dit toe weer een vrydagaand dieselfde ou storie en die bakkies, lorries en ander rygoed het hier in ons pad geparkeer en die koel “boxe” vol drank was oor die straat gesleep en die musiek was so hard die hele buurt het verniet geluister na die klomp se party! Die polisie se vangwa het sommer aan die bokant vannie straat vir ‘n lang ruk geparkeer en gewag vir die klomp om te “Drink en Drive” maar ek is seker party het die boesman twak, of soos ons dit noem pappegaai twak, gerook en hulle het lekker “ge-Smoke en ge-fly!!! Drank was in oorvloed en die tannies het gerook en gesuip en gelag en die toilet het ‘n laaaaaaaaaang “queue” voor die deur gehad waar die ou drank gevulde blase maar leeg getap is voor die glasies weer volgemaak is! Ek is nou al lekker moerig teen die tyd want die klomp het Cianan (ons een jaar oue knaap) al ‘n paar keer wakker gemaak met hulle gelag en gesing en die tannies wat die oomies so staan en “skerp” maak!! Die een girl het my laat dink aan ‘n lekker groot ou Afrika luislang wat ‘n duikertjie gevang het en hom nou eers gaan dood druk voor sy hom opeet. Die oom se kop vas daar in “Tieties kloof” ingewurm en sy het hom in ‘n greep gehou waar hy maar net kon staan en luister hoe haar hartklop versnel soos die auntie se pace maker haar aanjaag om die oom vas te hou! Dis ook toe net daar waar die badkamer se wegvloei pyp hier onder ons huis inkonk en ek moet gou na ‘n vriend ry om ‘n pyplas te gaan haal om die pyp reg te maak! Hier langs die huis groei daar ‘n tipe boom wat sulke geel bessies dra en die kinders het al vir my vertel die klomp vrugtevlermuise wat daar hang en eet en hulle is mal oor die bessies van die boom en nou hang hulle in die boom elke aand en vreet hulle trommeldik aan die geel bessies! Dis toe waar ek ‘n “gap” sien want daai vlermuise stink soos ‘n Putco bus oppad daar na die woonbuurt toe en hulle is nie ‘n dier wat daarvan hou om skoon te bly nie!
Dis toe daar waar my “Stoute Nico” weer sterk na vore kom! Ek begin sommer daai party se musiek al hoe meer geniet en die vlermuis is in ‘n groot blik waar hy besig is om te herstel van sy ontmoeting met die pyp en hy protesteer luidkeels oor die inhegtenis name en aanhouding in die blik! So gaan die aand maar rustig voort. Die drank vloei en die tannies kyk diep innie oomies se oe en die “queue” doen hulle job by die toilet!! Dis so amper 3 uur die oggend toe die laaste paartjie hier wegkruip oor die pad na hul motor en die nag injaag want die oomies is mos nou vol druiwesap en die tannies fluister mos net die regte goeters in hul ore! Dis nou daar waar ek toe die hond maar laat uitkom en hy raak mal waar ek die vlermuis innie blik opgehang het! Dis nou blerrie laat in die nag en die meeste in die buurt is nou teen einde laas innie bed! Tannie buurvrou het ‘n manier om haar tjor se venster oop te los, en ek vat toe vlermuis oor na hulle kant en hoor die gesnork en gekla van die twee! (MY BURE) Met die blik met die vlermuis in sluip ek toe na die oop tjor se venster en skut die dik gestikte en erg beswaarde groot vrugte vlermuis mooi in die motor in! Ek is natuurlik vroeg oggend op en sit koppie op koppie koffie en uitdrink en wag vir die auntie om met haar drank gevulde ou lyf en die lus wannie geblus is nie hier na die motortjie toe te kom want sy werk naweke van agtuur tot die volgende party begin! So net voor agt kom sy toe teen die trappies afgeslomp ook seker maar met ‘n babelaas en moerig vir die omie wat eerder wil slaap as speel, half laat vir die weekend job maar reg om te gaan werk! Hy klim toe sommer so hier van onder die “seat” tussen die auntie se twee bene deur (daar waar die oom moes wees) na die stuurwiel se kant toe! En sy stank klap die auntie se ou neusgate skoon weg van haar eie drank belaaide en sweet reuk! Sy skreeu; “Brendon it’s got me (gelukkige ou vlermuis), come help, come help it’s gonna bite me!” Ek is seker ek kon daai lewer hoor sing soos
“Groep Twee”
Dink jy darem nog aan my
Het jy my nog nie vergeet nie? Al die jare drink ons saam en jy is steeds nog glad nie skaam Dink jy darem nog aan my? Kyk hoe swel die drank my op en ek jou lewer is aan die pop! Dink jy darem nog aan my? Hy lê en kreun, ek kla en die auntie wil so graag sy hulp hê dat sy nou al boos is vir die “aussie apie” (vlermuis) wat hier op haar skoot sit en stink soos ‘n lokasie vark wat al die ou skille ens opge-eet het. Brendon het toe teen die tyd al mooi herstel van sy rugbyduik drie op die sement en hy hou die ou lewer so in een hand en waggel na die oop kar deur om darem die auntie te wys hy is erg beswaard oor haar ervaring met die “ding” wat tussen haar bene deurgeklim het en wat alles met haar gebeur het. Ek help toe maar soos enige ou goeie natuurkind en vat die vlermuis na die naaste boom waar hy ‘n tak aangewys word om te herstel van sy houe teen die kop in die laaste 12 uur! Sy stink soos ‘n straat vrou (nie dat ek al een geruik het nie) en hy is sommer doodreg en ontslae van sy ou babelaas van die laatnag party en sy stink erger as een van Cianan (my een jaar oue knaap) se trefferdoeke vroeg oggend onder sy pa se neus!! Die einde van die storie is die vlermuis het sy ondervinding oorleef en ek het al gewonder of hulle, soos ons, vir mekaar vertel van hulle ondervindinge en ervarings wat hulle deurmaak hier op die aarde? Groete, Nico
Special Concert in the Benelux
Coenie de Villiers
Vir meer inligting en besprekings, besoek http://www.bassons.org of stuur ‘n epos aan loraine@bassons.org
With the South African Rand at its weakest in years it is now the ideal opportunity to get your own Home Biltong Maker!! It will cost you so much less today than with the strong Rand from a while ago! In fact you’ll be making a saving of well over 26% compared to only 4 months ago!! So, don’t wait for the Rand to get strong again. Order now ! Over and above the exchange rate saving you can also make use of our special pricing this month so it’s a double bonus in July!
Details on ROCKEY’S 5kg Home Biltong Maker can be found by clicking on this link. You can have a look at the BILTONG BUDDY here.
Make use of this opportunity!! As we mentioned above you have another opportunity this month to make use of our special pricing. So ….. start making your own Biltong. It’s as easy as 1-2-3 and it’s loads of fun too! For the whole month of July you will still be able to get the following on “special”. Special discounts for Special Customers!!
Click here to go to our on-line shop.
A lot of people have been asking lately about a replacement for salt in Biltong for health reasons. Last month Fred from Australia came up with a special recipe and this month we have the name of an actual salt replacement sent to us. Jean-Luc from South Africa tells us that TROCOMARE is a good replacement and is available from www.avogel.ch. For interest sake, Jean-Luc is promoting the TeddyBok which is the official mascot of the Chris Burger Fund and of Ladies Springbok team as well as the National team.
This incident happened recently in North Texas . A woman went boating one Sunday taking with her some cans of coke which she put into the refrigerator of the boat. On Monday she was taken to the hospital and placed in the Intensive Care Unit. She died on the Wednesday. The autopsy concluded she died of Leptospirosis. This was traced to the can of coke she drank from, not using a glass. Tests showed that the can was infected by dried rat urine and hence the disease Leptospirosis. Rat urine contains toxic and deathly substances. It is highly recommended to thoroughly wash the upper part of soda cans before drinking out of them. The cans are typically stocked in warehouses and transported straight to the shops without being cleaned. A study at NYCU showed that the tops of soda cans are more contaminated than public toilets (i.e).. full of germs and bacteria. So wash them with water before putting them to the mouth to avoid any kind of fatal accident.
Ladies en gentlemen……
Anton Goosen!
” … vir elke alkie, elke junkie, space cadet, buttonhead … ” Are you a fan of South African Rock and Boereblues? People in the Benelux can join us on the weekend of October 20th for an evening with Anton Goosen, the original “Liedjieboer”, who will perform these and many more of his unforgettable songs in a cozy pub setting where everyone can sing along! But, be quick because this show is selling out fast! You can also check out Anton’s web site by clicking right here You can count us in Loraine! – Ed
If we have not given an answer and you can help these people could you please mail them? (Please copy us in on your mails @ info@biltongmakers.com so we can help other people who might have the same questions in the future) QUESTION Ek wil graag weet of ‘n mens gedroogte biltong in ‘n koelkamer kan stoor. Dankie
We are currently busy with a design for a 10m² x 2.5m high Biltong Drying Cabinet. Regards, Does anyone have any ideas on this for Gerhard? – Ed
Do you have a recipe voor boerewors in a Potjie? Regards
I love your site and am trying to make my own Biltong and have a quick question: Thanks,
I was looking for a site online where I could buy (of all things) Imana Soy Mince. I lived in Swaziland for 3 years and have several recipes that call for it. Thanks so much,
Goeie middag! Ek wil net graag uitvind of jy nie vir my ‘n resep het om Cabanosi te maak nie asseblief!! U kan my gerus e-mail by
It’s 2009 and Sandton is deserted…..
By James Clarke ![]() Chief Inspector Fearless Zwane is in command of the six-man crew. Constable Molefi, tense as a violin string, is manning the 88mm turret gun while Constable Naidoo is the rear gunner. They are about to venture into Sandton – the first police vehicle to do so for two years. Parts of Sandton had been abandoned after thousands of residents were forced to emigrate under the Prohibition of Whinging Against Crime Act of 2007. Crime statistics, for the second time since 2004, are being kept secret because, say the police, the public misinterprets them. Meanwhile the public has been assured that the police are in full control of crime – which is what many people had suspected. Murders (the police claim) are down to 103 a day and the police try to investigate many of them. Muggings carry only a spot fine. But with the World Cup due in 2010, the USAR (Union of South African Robbers) has agreed – following a plea from the minister of safety and security – to check people’s ID before robbing them. This is in case they are foreign visitors who, says the minister, “might not fully understand or appreciate South African culture”. But there are a few old-fashioned cops who still fight crime. Chief Inspector Zwane and his crew are among them. Patrol Module: (driver turns key) We have ignition! Control: Check! Ten seconds to H-hour and counting … Five, four, three, two, one … Module: (pulling away from kerb) Speed 20. Heading for central Sandton. Control: You’re looking good. Module: Down Rivonia Road. No sign of life. Control: Check! Module: Streets empty. All systems looking good. Shop windows covered in dust. Litter knee-deep. No sign of life. Control: Don’t take any undue risks. Module: Copy. Control: You’re still looking good. Module: Cruising. Control: Copy. Module: Now stationary… engine still running. Door now in unlock mode. Control: Copy. Module: Constable Molefi now has one foot on kerb… Now two feet on kerb! Still looking good… Control: Copy. Module: Molefi letting go of door handle… now he’s one metre from Patrol Module. (Suddenly) Red light! Red light! Red light showing on dashboard! Oops! Sorry – handbrake was on. We’re all a bit jumpy here. Control: Copy. Module: Checking all systems… Control: Standing by. Module: (Molefi’s voice cuts in: “That’s one small step for a policeman…”) Control: (sounds of applause in background) Congratulations all round, Chief Inspector… Module: Molefi now dusting off wall of Sandton City ready to affix plaque proclaiming that on this day, August 1, AD 2009, the SAPS reoccupied central Sandton… Control: We are all saluting you here, Chief Inspector… the minister sends congratulations! Module: The minister? Has he recovered? (Dear reader, the minister had collapsed a few days before – suffering oxygen deprivation. He had been half suffocated by his 24 bodyguards, who were too tightly packed around him. Since 2007 many ministers had been whinging about not being able to see where they are going because of being surrounded by too many tall bodyguards. Shorter ministers used periscopes.) Control: He has recovered. Module: Mission complete. Constable Molefi safely returned to patrol vehicle. Control: Copy. Module: Locks activated. Seatbelts on. Moving out… Correction. Not moving! Somebody’s stolen all our wheels and put us up on bricks.
This is an excellent Leg of Lamb Potjie. Ingredients
The Potjie is now ready to be served. Serves 6
I must say I enjoy reading all your stories. Some of them are just so funny. Stoeptalk has me in stitches. Fred – mate – so nice to see you are alive and kicking. Fred used to be our Boerewors man when I lived in Reedy Creek, Gold Coast, Australia. I left South Africa almost 24 years ago and what a culture shock I had when I arrived in Melbourne. Anyway, I’ve since “got over myself” and I just love the country. I am now living in a beautiful country town called Paynesville, surrounded by lakes and rivers and then the ocean. It’s awesomely beautiful. It’s Paradise – it’s Heaven in a Biscuit. It’s the boating and fishing capital of Victoria. I will post some photos soon. In the mean time have a look at thePaynesville web site for some lovely pictures. Paynesville is about 3 1/2 hours drive from Melbourne and the weather is just wonderful. Unlike Melbourne’s 4 seasons in one day and hotter than you can bear in Summer. Like I said, it’s perfect. Hope you are all well and happy in your part of the world. Stay lucky and …. as Fred always used to say on the ‘phone “Have a Naughty Day”. Teehee. Hugs Thank you for such a nice “Happy” mail Sharon. Hope to hear more from you – Ed
I thought I would let you know how I have been getting on. I tried the versatile biltong recipe from the web site first which gave a great consistency after 3 days but the flavour was too Worcestershire Sauce and not enough coriander for my taste. I tried another recipe I found online on another web site which was a disaster. The meat was marinated mainly in coriander and brown sugar with minimal salt. It was still very wet at the end of the marinade period. I probably cut the meat a bit too thickly, and had a bit too much in the dryer. Anyway you can guess the end result: I have just put my third batch in this morning using the Connoisseur Biltong recipe from your web site. It is looking much more promising after the marinade and I am hopeful for a good result. Best wishes Jim Ropner
Bokveld toe! Jul 15 2006 Daar sal vandag in Suid-Afrika waarskynlik ‘n skare mense wees wat sê die Springbokke was eintlik gelukkig om gister 0 teen Australië te kry. Daar sal vandag in Suid-Afrika waarskynlik ‘n skare mense wees wat sê die Springbokke was eintlik gelukkig om gister 0 teen Australië te kry. Wel, die Aussies reken die Springbokke was eintlik gelukkig dat die telling teen hulle nie nóg groter was nie. “Ons het baie punte op die veld gelos. Beter afronding en beter opsies kon ons nog verder laat wen het. Vanaand se oorwinning gee ons selfvertroue vir ons volgende kragmeting met die All Blacks, maar ons het nog harde werk wat voorlê voordat ons ons heel beste spelpeil bereik,” het afrigter John Connolly gesê nadat die Aussies die Bokke sy grootste pak nog in die Drienasies-kompetisie gegee het. Aan Springbok-kant is daar gekla dat die Nieu-Seelandse blaser Paul Honiss die Bokke ingeloop het. ‘n Sigbaar oorblufde Jake White, afrigter van die Springbokke, het na/ sy span se nederlaag meer klem geplaas op wat hy glo was ‘n vrot vertoning deur blaser Paul Honiss as ‘n puik vertoning deur die Wallabies. “Dit is die meeste strafskoppe wat ons nog vir onkantspel afgestaan het sedert ek die afrigter is. En ander strafskoppe in ander afdelings van die spel het dit baie moeilik vir ons gemaak om terug te veg nadat ons met 20-0 agtergeloop het. “Ek het agterna gehoor van die televisie-kommentators het gesê Honiss het ‘n swak dag beleef. Ek stem saam met hulle,” het White gekla toe hy oor sy span se skok-vertoning uitgevra is. White het later erken dat hy die man is wat die Bokke se nederlaag op die ken moet vat deurdat hy verantwoordelik is vir die Bokke se verdedigings-patroon. “Ons verdediging vanaand was nie goed gewees nie en almal in die span insluitend ek moet die skuld daarvoor dra. Ek sal moet gaan sit en kyk waar dit verkeerd gegaan het en indien veranderinge aan ons opskiet-verdediging gemaak moet word, sal dit moet gebeur. “Vanaand was ‘n bewys dat indien dinge verkeerd loop, kan dit sleg verkeerd loop. “Ons sal egter nie boedel oorgee voor die stryd teen die All Blacks nie. Ons moet eenvoudig opstaan anders gaan dit nog donkerder word,” het White gesê. Die Bok-kaptein John Smit, wat gisteraand lelike trapmerke op sy gesig gehad het, het sy span se vertoning as bitter teleurstellend beskryf. Gevra oor wat hy in die kleedkamers aan sy spanmaats gesê het, het Smit gesê hy het gedink om eerder tot vandag te wag voordat hy almal nader trek en oor die nederlaag gesels. “Somtyds is dit beter om eerder ‘n rukkie te wag totdat alles behoorlik insink en ‘n mens ‘n beter idée het waar alles verkeerd gegaan het. “So’n nederlaag maak seer, baie seer, maar ons sal dit agter ons rug moet plaas en so gou as moontlik daarvan vergeet. “Dit het net vandag gevoel of alles teen ons gegaan het. Daar was bitter baie vreemde beslissings en veral by die afbreekpunte is ons kwaai gestraf. Ek het wel baie hande in die losskrums gesien, maar dit was beslis nie alles Bok-hande nie. Dit is frustrerend was ‘n baie frustrerende toetswedstryd gewees,” het Smit gesê. Die Bok-afrigter en kaptein het voorts gesê hulle weet hulle gaan slae kry by die huis oor gisteraand se vertoning. Maar volgens White is daar nie veel wat hy kan doen as die spelers nie op die speelveld die regte dinge doen nie. “Hopeloos te veel duikslae is gemis. Spelers het hul rûe op die bal gedraai en lugskoppe kon nie beheer word nie. Dis nie dinge wat geoefen kan word nie. Dit was nog nooit maklik om weg van die huis te wen nie. En as ‘n mens foute maak, is dit nog baie moeiliker om suksesvol te wees,” het White gesê. Connolly het gisteraand gesê sy span se oorwinning oor die Bokke is ‘n soet sege wat die gevolg is van harde werk die afgelope week na/ die Wallabies se nederlaag verlede naweek teen die All Blacks. “Ons is gelukkig en gaan vanaand lekker fees vier. Maar die volgende veertien dae voor ons volgende toets wag nog baie harde werk. Ons kan nog heelwat verbeter en het nie naastenby na ons volle potensiaal gespeel nie,” het Connolly gesê. Volgens die breier was die Aussies geensins bekommerd oor die Bokke nie. Ook nie oor hul kragtige skrumwerk wat baie spanne laat bewe nie. “Nee wat, ons was voor-af vol moed dat ons ons man sou staan en het geweet wat ons wou doen. Met rustyd was die grondslag gesê en daarna het ons net verseker dat ons die bal hou en hulle op die agtervoet hou,” het hy gesê. Australie” se kaptein, George Gregan, het gesê gisteraand was ‘n trotse oomblik vir Aussie-rugby. “Die Bokke is ‘n trotse rugbynasie en om hulle goed te klop en te keer dat hulle enige punte aanteken, is ‘n trotse gebeurtenis. Dit gaan vorentoe baie vir ons selfvertroue beteken en ons Drienasies-veldtog is weer op koers,” het Gregan gesê. Die Wallaby-kaptein het voorts gesê die ree”n wat die oggend van die toets begin val het, het sake op die speelveld bemoeilik, maar nie onmoontlik gemaak nie. “Die bal en veld was glibberig, maar nie te moeilik om te bemeester nie. Ons het gedink dit gaan veel erger wees as wat uiteindelik die geval was.”
I never do forwards, but I HAD to pass this on – just love it, and realise how much I miss our gorgeous country, fabulous flaws and all! Enjoy ….. much luv, You are proudly South African when …………….
You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from SA
After 15 minutes, she tapped him on his shoulder again and handed him another handful of peanuts. She repeated this gesture about eight times. The ninth time, he asked the little old lady why they did not eat the peanuts themselves. She replied that it was not possible because of their old teeth, and they are not able to chew them. “Why do you buy them then?” he asked puzzled. The old lady answered, “We just love the chocolate around them.”
Live Well – Laugh Often – Love Much
Mallett hits out at White; The Boks ‘are not so clever’ By Morris Gilbert Wellington – The Springboks are said to be brain dead. This was the “revelation” a New Zealand newspaper, The Dominion Post, published on its sports front page on Monday. After South Africa’s record defeat in the Tri-Nations rugby Test against Australia last Saturday, Spiro Zavos wrote in his column, “The Roar”, that the Springboks had surpassed all previous lows with their performance against the Wallabies. He not only described the Springboks as brain dead, but also had a go at them for criticising New Zealand referee Paul Honiss after the match in Brisbane. Zavos wrote that the Springboks had to deal, for the first time in many years, with a referee who “accurately and unperturbedly” acted against offside play. Because Honiss enforced the offside law properly, the Springboks were unable to get their defence pattern working, he added.
Zavos felt the Springboks were “as flat-footed as statues” because they suddenly had to defend from an on-side position. In another report in the same newspaper, the Tri-Nations Test between South Africa and New Zealand on Saturday was described as “a massively uneven battle”. In his reaction to the reports, Springbok coach Jake White said he and his players would be nervous wrecks if they took any notice of reports of that nature. “The easiest reply is still to prove them wrong on the field. Just think how nice it would be if we beat the All Blacks; just think,” White said. The latest war of words follows the insults the team had to endure in Australia last week. It was said in Brisbane the Springboks were not clever enough to outsmart the Wallabies in the front row to the same extent New Zealand had done the previous week.
“They will certainly play better against us and it will be even more necessary for us to concentrate on our own preparations.” “Who knows which Springbok team will turn up on Saturday,” asked Henry.
Rossouw could make speedy return -Where can you watch rugby on TV?-
Click here to find out where in most countries!
We are already in the second half of this year and have received some very nice contributions to our newsletter from all over the world. But we can do better!! Many people have subscribed to our newsletter and many more are joining every day. Mostly they do so because they enjoy reading it and they like to hear from people in other parts of the world. They would love to hear from you too!! Why not put pen to paper (or fingers to the keyboard!), and tell us about anything interesting. About life in your part of the world, what you do and how you live. Perhaps something that happened to you. Perhaps you have some advice to give? Of course it does not have to be about Biltong or food. Anything that is of interest is welcome! Share it with other people around the world!
Our Boerewors has again proven to be as popular as last year (and all the years before)!
You too could have some real South African Boerewors on the braai next time!! Our Boerewors is vacuum packed in quantities of about 500 gram. The normal price is € 8.45 per kg but during July it’s only € 7.95 per kg!!
Droëwors, as it is known in South Africa, is as much part of the country’s culinary culture as Biltong, Pap, Boerewors and Potjiekos.
Our normal price is € 29.00 per kg but during July your can get it at only € 19.95 per kg. Droëwors travels well and posting is an ideal option. We can mail it to you in Europe and the UK via priority mail in minimum quantities of 1 kg. Interested? Give us a call or email.
Lamb on the Spit is a way of entertaining as only known by very few mainly because it is thought to be very expensive. Not so!
Together with the lamb we will treat you to a big pot of curried potatoes as well as a choice between a pasta salad or three-bean salad. Garlic or bread rolls are included as well. There are not many dates left this year. If you are planning a function or party with a Lamb on the Spit in mind it is advisable to book early. Remember that we are doing these functions only during weekends.
Booking early is essential and you can do so on
+32(16) 53-9625 or email us. (A Lamb on the Spit can only be done outside because we cook on coals!)
You can click on the links below to view some of the previous issues of our newsletter.
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July 2006

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Keerbergen
Belgium July 20, 2006 ![]() You must have been wondering what happened to me this month. It is already the 20th and no sign of the newsletter yet! Well, I have been wondering myself where all the time has gone to. It has been June and now July is almost finished. What happened to the first half of this year? Is life really that hectic that we can no longer make time for a bit of relaxation or is it just a case of us not able to manage our lives properly? Personally I fall in that last category. I must simply start taking time to do just nothing. Now, for those who know me, this will be a huge task if not totally impossible because I cannot simply sit around and do nothing. But I can at least give it a good try! I am sitting in my study overlooking the road in front of the house right now with the windows wide open to let in the small breeze that is blowing at the moment. It is hot here in Belgium, very hot in fact. Last night when I was walking around on the outside the thermometer read 36C. And that was at 7pm in the shade!! It has been like this for the past 4-6 weeks now and it does not seem that it will go away. Coming from South Africa you would think that I was used to the heat but boy, is this murder! Back in Linbro Park we at least had our pool! We thought about getting one of these small ones just to sit in to cool down but what is the use. Murphy says that the moment we buy one and have it all ready to go the weather will change and it will be just a hassle to keep clean. I suppose we are never happy. It’s always either too cold or too hot. But then again I keep on saying that you can dress against the cold but you can’t dress against the heat!
The cooling system was fixed immediately but I did not notice that the aircon was broken as well since one so seldom uses it. How I wish it was working right now and I cannot even have it fixed because the garage is closed for the holidays and we can’t get spares.
I will show some of the pictures next month. Hey, I am not going to carry on for long this month. There is so much already in this edition of our newsletter for you to read and enjoy! It is holiday time now and I am taking a break as well. The next issue of our newsletter will be at the end of August. Please send in your contributions for that edition and let us try and make it a bumper one. Tell us all about your holidays or about the so very cold winter you are having in the southern parts of this world. Anything is always very welcome. Take care and we will speak soon. Lo
“If we take care of the moments, the years will take care of themselves.”
-Mary Edgeworth-“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” -Sir Winston Churchill-
This should probably be taped to your bathroom mirror where you could read it every day.
And always remember ……. when life hands you lemons, ask for tequila and salt and call me over!
I discovered a web site that explains in detail how bad crime is in South Africa today. This was going to be the topic for the main story for this month. But, we have enough bad news already every single day of our lives. So, while there is a lot of truth in what is written about the crime rate and how the government does not want to release true crime figures, this month it is neither the time nor the place to discuss this in depth. Instead let’s try to forget for a moment about the bad things happening all around us every day and let us indulge in a bit of laughter and fun. Nico Botha made us laugh last year and he will do so again this year. I am sorry for all those people who don’t speak Afrikaans but this is not a story one can even attempt to translate. It just would not do justice to it. So, by popular request here is once again the story of “Die Vlêrmuis” One Friday night, somewhere in Australia ………. This is a true story by Nico Botha. Hier is ‘n stukkie wat julle heerlik sal laat lag!
“Die vlêrmuis en die dronk “Bierman”!
My klomp Aussie bure is mos van die meer begeesterde tipe mense wat hou van ‘n geleentheid om ‘n “partie” te hou en dan word die pensklavier, kitaar en ander instrumente stoep toe gesleep en dan moet ek “Walzing Matilda” hoor in 600 variasies van dronkenskap! So ‘n ruk gelede was dit toe weer een vrydagaand dieselfde ou storie en die bakkies, lorries en ander rygoed het hier in ons pad geparkeer en die koel “boxe” vol drank was oor die straat gesleep en die musiek was so hard die hele buurt het verniet geluister na die klomp se party! Die polisie se vangwa het sommer aan die bokant vannie straat vir ‘n lang ruk geparkeer en gewag vir die klomp om te “Drink en Drive” maar ek is seker party het die boesman twak, of soos ons dit noem pappegaai twak, gerook en hulle het lekker “ge-Smoke en ge-fly!!! Drank was in oorvloed en die tannies het gerook en gesuip en gelag en die toilet het ‘n laaaaaaaaaang “queue” voor die deur gehad waar die ou drank gevulde blase maar leeg getap is voor die glasies weer volgemaak is! Ek is nou al lekker moerig teen die tyd want die klomp het Cianan (ons een jaar oue knaap) al ‘n paar keer wakker gemaak met hulle gelag en gesing en die tannies wat die oomies so staan en “skerp” maak!! Die een girl het my laat dink aan ‘n lekker groot ou Afrika luislang wat ‘n duikertjie gevang het en hom nou eers gaan dood druk voor sy hom opeet. Die oom se kop vas daar in “Tieties kloof” ingewurm en sy het hom in ‘n greep gehou waar hy maar net kon staan en luister hoe haar hartklop versnel soos die auntie se pace maker haar aanjaag om die oom vas te hou! Dis ook toe net daar waar die badkamer se wegvloei pyp hier onder ons huis inkonk en ek moet gou na ‘n vriend ry om ‘n pyplas te gaan haal om die pyp reg te maak! Hier langs die huis groei daar ‘n tipe boom wat sulke geel bessies dra en die kinders het al vir my vertel die klomp vrugtevlermuise wat daar hang en eet en hulle is mal oor die bessies van die boom en nou hang hulle in die boom elke aand en vreet hulle trommeldik aan die geel bessies! Dis toe waar ek ‘n “gap” sien want daai vlermuise stink soos ‘n Putco bus oppad daar na die woonbuurt toe en hulle is nie ‘n dier wat daarvan hou om skoon te bly nie!
Dis toe daar waar my “Stoute Nico” weer sterk na vore kom! Ek begin sommer daai party se musiek al hoe meer geniet en die vlermuis is in ‘n groot blik waar hy besig is om te herstel van sy ontmoeting met die pyp en hy protesteer luidkeels oor die inhegtenis name en aanhouding in die blik! So gaan die aand maar rustig voort. Die drank vloei en die tannies kyk diep innie oomies se oe en die “queue” doen hulle job by die toilet!! Dis so amper 3 uur die oggend toe die laaste paartjie hier wegkruip oor die pad na hul motor en die nag injaag want die oomies is mos nou vol druiwesap en die tannies fluister mos net die regte goeters in hul ore! Dis nou daar waar ek toe die hond maar laat uitkom en hy raak mal waar ek die vlermuis innie blik opgehang het! Dis nou blerrie laat in die nag en die meeste in die buurt is nou teen einde laas innie bed! Tannie buurvrou het ‘n manier om haar tjor se venster oop te los, en ek vat toe vlermuis oor na hulle kant en hoor die gesnork en gekla van die twee! (MY BURE) Met die blik met die vlermuis in sluip ek toe na die oop tjor se venster en skut die dik gestikte en erg beswaarde groot vrugte vlermuis mooi in die motor in! Ek is natuurlik vroeg oggend op en sit koppie op koppie koffie en uitdrink en wag vir die auntie om met haar drank gevulde ou lyf en die lus wannie geblus is nie hier na die motortjie toe te kom want sy werk naweke van agtuur tot die volgende party begin! So net voor agt kom sy toe teen die trappies afgeslomp ook seker maar met ‘n babelaas en moerig vir die omie wat eerder wil slaap as speel, half laat vir die weekend job maar reg om te gaan werk! Hy klim toe sommer so hier van onder die “seat” tussen die auntie se twee bene deur (daar waar die oom moes wees) na die stuurwiel se kant toe! En sy stank klap die auntie se ou neusgate skoon weg van haar eie drank belaaide en sweet reuk! Sy skreeu; “Brendon it’s got me (gelukkige ou vlermuis), come help, come help it’s gonna bite me!” Ek is seker ek kon daai lewer hoor sing soos
“Groep Twee”
Dink jy darem nog aan my
Het jy my nog nie vergeet nie? Al die jare drink ons saam en jy is steeds nog glad nie skaam Dink jy darem nog aan my? Kyk hoe swel die drank my op en ek jou lewer is aan die pop! Dink jy darem nog aan my? Hy lê en kreun, ek kla en die auntie wil so graag sy hulp hê dat sy nou al boos is vir die “aussie apie” (vlermuis) wat hier op haar skoot sit en stink soos ‘n lokasie vark wat al die ou skille ens opge-eet het. Brendon het toe teen die tyd al mooi herstel van sy rugbyduik drie op die sement en hy hou die ou lewer so in een hand en waggel na die oop kar deur om darem die auntie te wys hy is erg beswaard oor haar ervaring met die “ding” wat tussen haar bene deurgeklim het en wat alles met haar gebeur het. Ek help toe maar soos enige ou goeie natuurkind en vat die vlermuis na die naaste boom waar hy ‘n tak aangewys word om te herstel van sy houe teen die kop in die laaste 12 uur! Sy stink soos ‘n straat vrou (nie dat ek al een geruik het nie) en hy is sommer doodreg en ontslae van sy ou babelaas van die laatnag party en sy stink erger as een van Cianan (my een jaar oue knaap) se trefferdoeke vroeg oggend onder sy pa se neus!! Die einde van die storie is die vlermuis het sy ondervinding oorleef en ek het al gewonder of hulle, soos ons, vir mekaar vertel van hulle ondervindinge en ervarings wat hulle deurmaak hier op die aarde? Groete, Nico
Special Concert in the Benelux
Coenie de Villiers
Vir meer inligting en besprekings, besoek http://www.bassons.org of stuur ‘n epos aan loraine@bassons.org
With the South African Rand at its weakest in years it is now the ideal opportunity to get your own Home Biltong Maker!! It will cost you so much less today than with the strong Rand from a while ago! In fact you’ll be making a saving of well over 26% compared to only 4 months ago!! So, don’t wait for the Rand to get strong again. Order now ! Over and above the exchange rate saving you can also make use of our special pricing this month so it’s a double bonus in July!
Details on ROCKEY’S 5kg Home Biltong Maker can be found by clicking on this link. You can have a look at the BILTONG BUDDY here.
Make use of this opportunity!! As we mentioned above you have another opportunity this month to make use of our special pricing. So ….. start making your own Biltong. It’s as easy as 1-2-3 and it’s loads of fun too! For the whole month of July you will still be able to get the following on “special”. Special discounts for Special Customers!!
Click here to go to our on-line shop.
A lot of people have been asking lately about a replacement for salt in Biltong for health reasons. Last month Fred from Australia came up with a special recipe and this month we have the name of an actual salt replacement sent to us. Jean-Luc from South Africa tells us that TROCOMARE is a good replacement and is available from www.avogel.ch. For interest sake, Jean-Luc is promoting the TeddyBok which is the official mascot of the Chris Burger Fund and of Ladies Springbok team as well as the National team.
This incident happened recently in North Texas . A woman went boating one Sunday taking with her some cans of coke which she put into the refrigerator of the boat. On Monday she was taken to the hospital and placed in the Intensive Care Unit. She died on the Wednesday. The autopsy concluded she died of Leptospirosis. This was traced to the can of coke she drank from, not using a glass. Tests showed that the can was infected by dried rat urine and hence the disease Leptospirosis. Rat urine contains toxic and deathly substances. It is highly recommended to thoroughly wash the upper part of soda cans before drinking out of them. The cans are typically stocked in warehouses and transported straight to the shops without being cleaned. A study at NYCU showed that the tops of soda cans are more contaminated than public toilets (i.e).. full of germs and bacteria. So wash them with water before putting them to the mouth to avoid any kind of fatal accident.
Ladies en gentlemen……
Anton Goosen!
” … vir elke alkie, elke junkie, space cadet, buttonhead … ” Are you a fan of South African Rock and Boereblues? People in the Benelux can join us on the weekend of October 20th for an evening with Anton Goosen, the original “Liedjieboer”, who will perform these and many more of his unforgettable songs in a cozy pub setting where everyone can sing along! But, be quick because this show is selling out fast! You can also check out Anton’s web site by clicking right here You can count us in Loraine! – Ed
If we have not given an answer and you can help these people could you please mail them? (Please copy us in on your mails @ info@biltongmakers.com so we can help other people who might have the same questions in the future) QUESTION Ek wil graag weet of ‘n mens gedroogte biltong in ‘n koelkamer kan stoor. Dankie
We are currently busy with a design for a 10m² x 2.5m high Biltong Drying Cabinet. Regards, Does anyone have any ideas on this for Gerhard? – Ed
Do you have a recipe voor boerewors in a Potjie? Regards
I love your site and am trying to make my own Biltong and have a quick question: Thanks,
I was looking for a site online where I could buy (of all things) Imana Soy Mince. I lived in Swaziland for 3 years and have several recipes that call for it. Thanks so much,
Goeie middag! Ek wil net graag uitvind of jy nie vir my ‘n resep het om Cabanosi te maak nie asseblief!! U kan my gerus e-mail by
It’s 2009 and Sandton is deserted…..
By James Clarke ![]() They are about to venture into Sandton – the first police vehicle to do so for two years. Parts of Sandton had been abandoned after thousands of residents were forced to emigrate under the Prohibition of Whinging Against Crime Act of 2007. Crime statistics, for the second time since 2004, are being kept secret because, say the police, the public misinterprets them. Meanwhile the public has been assured that the police are in full control of crime – which is what many people had suspected. Murders (the police claim) are down to 103 a day and the police try to investigate many of them. Muggings carry only a spot fine. But with the World Cup due in 2010, the USAR (Union of South African Robbers) has agreed – following a plea from the minister of safety and security – to check people’s ID before robbing them. This is in case they are foreign visitors who, says the minister, “might not fully understand or appreciate South African culture”. But there are a few old-fashioned cops who still fight crime. Chief Inspector Zwane and his crew are among them. Patrol Module: (driver turns key) We have ignition! Control: Check! Ten seconds to H-hour and counting … Five, four, three, two, one … Module: (pulling away from kerb) Speed 20. Heading for central Sandton. Control: You’re looking good. Module: Down Rivonia Road. No sign of life. Control: Check! Module: Streets empty. All systems looking good. Shop windows covered in dust. Litter knee-deep. No sign of life. Control: Don’t take any undue risks. Module: Copy. Control: You’re still looking good. Module: Cruising. Control: Copy. Module: Now stationary… engine still running. Door now in unlock mode. Control: Copy. Module: Constable Molefi now has one foot on kerb… Now two feet on kerb! Still looking good… Control: Copy. Module: Molefi letting go of door handle… now he’s one metre from Patrol Module. (Suddenly) Red light! Red light! Red light showing on dashboard! Oops! Sorry – handbrake was on. We’re all a bit jumpy here. Control: Copy. Module: Checking all systems… Control: Standing by. Module: (Molefi’s voice cuts in: “That’s one small step for a policeman…”) Control: (sounds of applause in background) Congratulations all round, Chief Inspector… Module: Molefi now dusting off wall of Sandton City ready to affix plaque proclaiming that on this day, August 1, AD 2009, the SAPS reoccupied central Sandton… Control: We are all saluting you here, Chief Inspector… the minister sends congratulations! Module: The minister? Has he recovered? (Dear reader, the minister had collapsed a few days before – suffering oxygen deprivation. He had been half suffocated by his 24 bodyguards, who were too tightly packed around him. Since 2007 many ministers had been whinging about not being able to see where they are going because of being surrounded by too many tall bodyguards. Shorter ministers used periscopes.) Control: He has recovered. Module: Mission complete. Constable Molefi safely returned to patrol vehicle. Control: Copy. Module: Locks activated. Seatbelts on. Moving out… Correction. Not moving! Somebody’s stolen all our wheels and put us up on bricks.
This is an excellent Leg of Lamb Potjie. Ingredients
The Potjie is now ready to be served. Serves 6
I must say I enjoy reading all your stories. Some of them are just so funny. Stoeptalk has me in stitches. Fred – mate – so nice to see you are alive and kicking. Fred used to be our Boerewors man when I lived in Reedy Creek, Gold Coast, Australia. I left South Africa almost 24 years ago and what a culture shock I had when I arrived in Melbourne. Anyway, I’ve since “got over myself” and I just love the country. I am now living in a beautiful country town called Paynesville, surrounded by lakes and rivers and then the ocean. It’s awesomely beautiful. It’s Paradise – it’s Heaven in a Biscuit. It’s the boating and fishing capital of Victoria. I will post some photos soon. In the mean time have a look at thePaynesville web site for some lovely pictures. Paynesville is about 3 1/2 hours drive from Melbourne and the weather is just wonderful. Unlike Melbourne’s 4 seasons in one day and hotter than you can bear in Summer. Like I said, it’s perfect. Hope you are all well and happy in your part of the world. Stay lucky and …. as Fred always used to say on the ‘phone “Have a Naughty Day”. Teehee. Hugs Thank you for such a nice “Happy” mail Sharon. Hope to hear more from you – Ed
I thought I would let you know how I have been getting on. I tried the versatile biltong recipe from the web site first which gave a great consistency after 3 days but the flavour was too Worcestershire Sauce and not enough coriander for my taste. I tried another recipe I found online on another web site which was a disaster. The meat was marinated mainly in coriander and brown sugar with minimal salt. It was still very wet at the end of the marinade period. I probably cut the meat a bit too thickly, and had a bit too much in the dryer. Anyway you can guess the end result: I have just put my third batch in this morning using the Connoisseur Biltong recipe from your web site. It is looking much more promising after the marinade and I am hopeful for a good result. Best wishes Jim Ropner
Bokveld toe! Jul 15 2006 Daar sal vandag in Suid-Afrika waarskynlik ‘n skare mense wees wat sê die Springbokke was eintlik gelukkig om gister 0 teen Australië te kry. Daar sal vandag in Suid-Afrika waarskynlik ‘n skare mense wees wat sê die Springbokke was eintlik gelukkig om gister 0 teen Australië te kry. Wel, die Aussies reken die Springbokke was eintlik gelukkig dat die telling teen hulle nie nóg groter was nie. “Ons het baie punte op die veld gelos. Beter afronding en beter opsies kon ons nog verder laat wen het. Vanaand se oorwinning gee ons selfvertroue vir ons volgende kragmeting met die All Blacks, maar ons het nog harde werk wat voorlê voordat ons ons heel beste spelpeil bereik,” het afrigter John Connolly gesê nadat die Aussies die Bokke sy grootste pak nog in die Drienasies-kompetisie gegee het. Aan Springbok-kant is daar gekla dat die Nieu-Seelandse blaser Paul Honiss die Bokke ingeloop het. ‘n Sigbaar oorblufde Jake White, afrigter van die Springbokke, het na/ sy span se nederlaag meer klem geplaas op wat hy glo was ‘n vrot vertoning deur blaser Paul Honiss as ‘n puik vertoning deur die Wallabies. “Dit is die meeste strafskoppe wat ons nog vir onkantspel afgestaan het sedert ek die afrigter is. En ander strafskoppe in ander afdelings van die spel het dit baie moeilik vir ons gemaak om terug te veg nadat ons met 20-0 agtergeloop het. “Ek het agterna gehoor van die televisie-kommentators het gesê Honiss het ‘n swak dag beleef. Ek stem saam met hulle,” het White gekla toe hy oor sy span se skok-vertoning uitgevra is. White het later erken dat hy die man is wat die Bokke se nederlaag op die ken moet vat deurdat hy verantwoordelik is vir die Bokke se verdedigings-patroon. “Ons verdediging vanaand was nie goed gewees nie en almal in die span insluitend ek moet die skuld daarvoor dra. Ek sal moet gaan sit en kyk waar dit verkeerd gegaan het en indien veranderinge aan ons opskiet-verdediging gemaak moet word, sal dit moet gebeur. “Vanaand was ‘n bewys dat indien dinge verkeerd loop, kan dit sleg verkeerd loop. “Ons sal egter nie boedel oorgee voor die stryd teen die All Blacks nie. Ons moet eenvoudig opstaan anders gaan dit nog donkerder word,” het White gesê. Die Bok-kaptein John Smit, wat gisteraand lelike trapmerke op sy gesig gehad het, het sy span se vertoning as bitter teleurstellend beskryf. Gevra oor wat hy in die kleedkamers aan sy spanmaats gesê het, het Smit gesê hy het gedink om eerder tot vandag te wag voordat hy almal nader trek en oor die nederlaag gesels. “Somtyds is dit beter om eerder ‘n rukkie te wag totdat alles behoorlik insink en ‘n mens ‘n beter idée het waar alles verkeerd gegaan het. “So’n nederlaag maak seer, baie seer, maar ons sal dit agter ons rug moet plaas en so gou as moontlik daarvan vergeet. “Dit het net vandag gevoel of alles teen ons gegaan het. Daar was bitter baie vreemde beslissings en veral by die afbreekpunte is ons kwaai gestraf. Ek het wel baie hande in die losskrums gesien, maar dit was beslis nie alles Bok-hande nie. Dit is frustrerend was ‘n baie frustrerende toetswedstryd gewees,” het Smit gesê. Die Bok-afrigter en kaptein het voorts gesê hulle weet hulle gaan slae kry by die huis oor gisteraand se vertoning. Maar volgens White is daar nie veel wat hy kan doen as die spelers nie op die speelveld die regte dinge doen nie. “Hopeloos te veel duikslae is gemis. Spelers het hul rûe op die bal gedraai en lugskoppe kon nie beheer word nie. Dis nie dinge wat geoefen kan word nie. Dit was nog nooit maklik om weg van die huis te wen nie. En as ‘n mens foute maak, is dit nog baie moeiliker om suksesvol te wees,” het White gesê. Connolly het gisteraand gesê sy span se oorwinning oor die Bokke is ‘n soet sege wat die gevolg is van harde werk die afgelope week na/ die Wallabies se nederlaag verlede naweek teen die All Blacks. “Ons is gelukkig en gaan vanaand lekker fees vier. Maar die volgende veertien dae voor ons volgende toets wag nog baie harde werk. Ons kan nog heelwat verbeter en het nie naastenby na ons volle potensiaal gespeel nie,” het Connolly gesê. Volgens die breier was die Aussies geensins bekommerd oor die Bokke nie. Ook nie oor hul kragtige skrumwerk wat baie spanne laat bewe nie. “Nee wat, ons was voor-af vol moed dat ons ons man sou staan en het geweet wat ons wou doen. Met rustyd was die grondslag gesê en daarna het ons net verseker dat ons die bal hou en hulle op die agtervoet hou,” het hy gesê. Australie” se kaptein, George Gregan, het gesê gisteraand was ‘n trotse oomblik vir Aussie-rugby. “Die Bokke is ‘n trotse rugbynasie en om hulle goed te klop en te keer dat hulle enige punte aanteken, is ‘n trotse gebeurtenis. Dit gaan vorentoe baie vir ons selfvertroue beteken en ons Drienasies-veldtog is weer op koers,” het Gregan gesê. Die Wallaby-kaptein het voorts gesê die ree”n wat die oggend van die toets begin val het, het sake op die speelveld bemoeilik, maar nie onmoontlik gemaak nie. “Die bal en veld was glibberig, maar nie te moeilik om te bemeester nie. Ons het gedink dit gaan veel erger wees as wat uiteindelik die geval was.”
I never do forwards, but I HAD to pass this on – just love it, and realise how much I miss our gorgeous country, fabulous flaws and all! Enjoy ….. much luv, You are proudly South African when …………….
You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from SA
After 15 minutes, she tapped him on his shoulder again and handed him another handful of peanuts. She repeated this gesture about eight times. The ninth time, he asked the little old lady why they did not eat the peanuts themselves. She replied that it was not possible because of their old teeth, and they are not able to chew them. “Why do you buy them then?” he asked puzzled. The old lady answered, “We just love the chocolate around them.”
Live Well – Laugh Often – Love Much
Mallett hits out at White; The Boks ‘are not so clever’ By Morris Gilbert Wellington – The Springboks are said to be brain dead. This was the “revelation” a New Zealand newspaper, The Dominion Post, published on its sports front page on Monday. After South Africa’s record defeat in the Tri-Nations rugby Test against Australia last Saturday, Spiro Zavos wrote in his column, “The Roar”, that the Springboks had surpassed all previous lows with their performance against the Wallabies. He not only described the Springboks as brain dead, but also had a go at them for criticising New Zealand referee Paul Honiss after the match in Brisbane. Zavos wrote that the Springboks had to deal, for the first time in many years, with a referee who “accurately and unperturbedly” acted against offside play. Because Honiss enforced the offside law properly, the Springboks were unable to get their defence pattern working, he added.
Zavos felt the Springboks were “as flat-footed as statues” because they suddenly had to defend from an on-side position. In another report in the same newspaper, the Tri-Nations Test between South Africa and New Zealand on Saturday was described as “a massively uneven battle”. In his reaction to the reports, Springbok coach Jake White said he and his players would be nervous wrecks if they took any notice of reports of that nature. “The easiest reply is still to prove them wrong on the field. Just think how nice it would be if we beat the All Blacks; just think,” White said. The latest war of words follows the insults the team had to endure in Australia last week. It was said in Brisbane the Springboks were not clever enough to outsmart the Wallabies in the front row to the same extent New Zealand had done the previous week.
“They will certainly play better against us and it will be even more necessary for us to concentrate on our own preparations.” “Who knows which Springbok team will turn up on Saturday,” asked Henry.
Rossouw could make speedy return -Where can you watch rugby on TV?-
Click here to find out where in most countries!
We are already in the second half of this year and have received some very nice contributions to our newsletter from all over the world. But we can do better!! Many people have subscribed to our newsletter and many more are joining every day. Mostly they do so because they enjoy reading it and they like to hear from people in other parts of the world. They would love to hear from you too!! Why not put pen to paper (or fingers to the keyboard!), and tell us about anything interesting. About life in your part of the world, what you do and how you live. Perhaps something that happened to you. Perhaps you have some advice to give? Of course it does not have to be about Biltong or food. Anything that is of interest is welcome! Share it with other people around the world!
Our Boerewors has again proven to be as popular as last year (and all the years before)!
You too could have some real South African Boerewors on the braai next time!! Our Boerewors is vacuum packed in quantities of about 500 gram. The normal price is € 8.45 per kg but during July it’s only € 7.95 per kg!!
Droëwors, as it is known in South Africa, is as much part of the country’s culinary culture as Biltong, Pap, Boerewors and Potjiekos.
Our normal price is € 29.00 per kg but during July your can get it at only € 19.95 per kg. Droëwors travels well and posting is an ideal option. We can mail it to you in Europe and the UK via priority mail in minimum quantities of 1 kg. Interested? Give us a call or email.
Lamb on the Spit is a way of entertaining as only known by very few mainly because it is thought to be very expensive. Not so!
Together with the lamb we will treat you to a big pot of curried potatoes as well as a choice between a pasta salad or three-bean salad. Garlic or bread rolls are included as well. There are not many dates left this year. If you are planning a function or party with a Lamb on the Spit in mind it is advisable to book early. Remember that we are doing these functions only during weekends.
Booking early is essential and you can do so on
+32(16) 53-9625 or email us. (A Lamb on the Spit can only be done outside because we cook on coals!)
You can click on the links below to view some of the previous issues of our newsletter.
Yes, please subscribe me to your monthly Newsletter! Unsubscribe me please. |
June 2006
If images are not visible in this email, please visit the online version.

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You are receiving this newsletter because you have previously placed an order with Biltongmakers or made an enquiry about Biltong, Boerewors or Potjie Pots or someone has submitted your name to us thinking that you might be interested.
If you do not wish to receive this newsletter you may unsubscribe at the bottom where you will find an automatic email link. Just click on that and send. Your name will then be permanently deleted from our database.If you, your family or your friends want to subscribe to the newsletter please click on this link. Yes, please subscribe me to your monthly Newsletter!
Keerbergen
Belgium June 7, 2006 ![]() It was a quiet journey with everyone left with their own thoughts on the history of the building and how old and big it was. Suddenly, from somewhere, Beethoven’s “Für Elize” started playing, softly, as if it wanted to give us a little encouragement for the last stretch of the climb. We were in Rome for a couple of days to take in the sights and to see “Benedicto”! Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am a history freak so Rome was the perfect place for me to be. It was incidental but also very interesting that I had just read Dan Brown’s “Angels and Demons”. We saw most of the places he mentioned in the book not because we were particularly looking for them but you just can’t miss them! The Sunday after we arrived we went to St Peters Square to attend the weekly blessing by the Pope. It felt like we were at a pop concert. We arrived pretty early, around 10 am or so and there were thousands of people shouting “Benedicto…Benedicto…Benedicto… a lot of them carrying banners with “We love you Benedicto” or Benedicto is the greatest” etc, etc, etc.
But, everybody was having a ball especially once he appeared and started addressing everyone in several of the main languages. We had planned to walk around St Peters Basilica and the museums afterwards but decided against it. There were miles and miles of queues. On the way back we heard from a taxi driver that it was so busy that day because it was the second Sunday of the month and entrance is free on that day. By the way, everything they say about Italian taxi drivers is true. Our “best” experience was on the way back to the airport with our driver talking on two mobile phones at the same time whilst thumbing through a diary and also (at the same time) trying to clean a CD. But let’s not digress …. I could carry on for a very long time about the beauty and history of Rome. It is incredible. The Colosseum that could hold an estimated 80 000 spectators and dates back to year 80 AD. It’s all just to much to mention. One thing we were disappointed about.
There was no way that we could have seen everything there is to see in the short space of time we had at our disposal. There is so much more and we’ll be back! It is said that if you drink the water from the Trevi Fountain and you throw in a coin you are destined to return to Rome. We both had a drink and gave Trevi a coin.
We must make a plan and spend some time there as well.
So, Kel, if you’re listening up there somewhere. It can be done in the rain! It was a busy month all in all and so we start on the last month of the first half of this year.
Please vote!!
Well that was it from me for this month. Please let us hear from you, where you have been, what you are up to and, please feel free to include some pictures. Take care Till next month, Lo
A professor was giving a lecture to his students on stress management.
The students’ answers ranged from 20 gram to 500 gram. The professor said “It does not matter on the absolute weight. It depends on how long you hold it. “If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, we will not be able to carry on, the burden becoming increasingly heavier.” “What you have to do is to put the glass down and rest for a while before holding it up again.” We have to put down the burden periodically so that we can be refreshed and are able to carry on. So, before you return home from work tonight, put the burden of work down. Don’t carry it back home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you have on your shoulders, let it down for a moment if you can.
Afrikaans has been one of South Africa’s official languages for over 50 years. Afrikaans contains literature much the same as other Western cultures, and Afrikaans can handle both commerce and technology communication very well. Where did it come from?
Although Afrikaans was used in print such as newspapers and political and religious pamphlets as early as 1850, the real boost came in 1875 when a patriotic group of Afrikaans speakers from the Cape formed the Genootskap vir Regte Afrikaanders (Society for real Afrikaners), who published several Afrikaans books, including grammars, dictionaries, religious material and histories. After the Great South African war in 1899-1902, a second and a third language movement started in two different places in South Africa. Academic interest in Afrikaans increased. In 1925 Afrikaans was recognized by the government as a real language, instead of a slang version of Dutch. Where is it spoken?
Swaziland, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe also sports Afrikaans communities, and the other Southern African states as far north as Malawi has mentionable Afrikaans pockets of speakers.
Special prices for special customers!! Despite the increase in prices last month you, our customers, have continued to support us incredibly well during May. So………………. For a limited period during the month of June this is what you can get on “special” Special discounts for Special customers!!
Click here to go to our on-line shop.
This one from the all-time Master of Potjiekos – Kel Malherbe. Some lucky folk living on Planet North are currently basking in summer sunshine whereas those of us here on Planet South are chattering away in our winter woolies! We are forced indoors when practicing our culinary arts while northern SA’ers and other outdoor lovers are free to enjoy the griddles, grates, sizzles and aromas which come with outdoor feasting around the open fire. And speaking about Potjiekos, what a great opportunity for you northern SA’ers and Potjiekos fanatics to haul out that three legged Pot Bellied marvel for an outdoor summer occasion with friends. Just brush up on the fundamentals: – The whole foundation of Potjiekos preparation rests on long cooking times and this strikes at the heart of present day living where meals must often be prepared as quickly as possible. If your desire is for quality and flavour, go for Potjiekos; if in a hurry, leave the Potjie in storage until a relaxing weekend comes up. Potjiekos is creation, not cremation. – Although the heat must be strong initially, once the pot itself (and the lid!) has been well warmed up, the bulk of the cooking time should be done on the lowest possible heat. Gas is ideal at the level of the smallest blue flame. Some scattered embers of an open fire should do the trick, but do not allow the coals to die out! – The secret of Potjiekos is to firstly sauté the onions in the heated pot and remove. Then brown the meat and add back the onions. Add liquid as per recipe, replace the lid and let this gently simmer for a few hours. Do not open the lid or stir until the meat is nearly done! You can now remove the lid, layer the vegies, the slower cooking ones first, and add the herbs and seasoning. Replace the lid and be ready to serve after the pot has bubbled for another 30 minutes or so. – If possible, never add water on its own to any Potjie. Use a good stock, beer, fresh fruit juice or wine. Remember, wine is the heart of any Potjie! – Herbs and spices are also a must, especially garlic. A Potjie is just not a Potjie without garlic! Although many Potjie recipes are available always remember that the end result of each Potjiekos is as individual as its creator and, that with time, each Potjie seems to develop its own character devoted to the whims of its master! (We have some very nice Potjiekos Recipes on our web site -Ed)
If we have not given an answer and you can help these people could you please mail them? (Please copy us in on your mails @ info@biltongmakers.com so we can help other people who might have the same questions in the future) QUESTION Hoop u kan my help, ek het seker nou al 6 keer probeer om wors te maak, en elke keer skeur die derm, die wors kry nog nie eers behoorlik hitte nie dan skeur die derm uitmekaar uit. Die slagters kyk my verbaas aan as ek hulle vra hoekom dit gebeur, want hulle gee vir my blykbaar die derms wat hulle gebruik. Ek het al als probeer, verskillende resepte, styf stop, sag stop, middelmatig enigeiets. Ek merk dat mens die derms in water moet lê voor die tyd, kan dit my fout wees, want ek doen dit nie? Ek sal dit werklik waardeer as u kan help. Groete Billy van Schalkwyk FEEDBACK Billy started soaking and cleaning his casings and has had no problems since!
Because of my high blood pressure I have to avoid salt under any circumstances. Thank you in anticipations and sunny African regards, Klaus Schindler FEEDBACK Hi Klaus Good luck,
We have been making biltong in our Rockey 5kg Biltong maker with normal beef. It works like a dream! Best Regards Eric Maingard FEEDBACK Hi Eric, Yes u can use boar but you have to change your recipe. Good luck
Design of new Taxis is just not up to scratch!
By James Clarke ![]() My friend, Togetherness Tshabalala, the demon Diepkloof taxi driver who so passionately believes in private enterprise that he shoots competitors, told me that one of the problems with the new taxis is design standards. For example, under the new rules, sliding doors are out and this is partly why there is a holdup. Togetherness was responsible for this last-minute rule. He was asked by the Department of Transport’s advisory committee to road test one of the prototype 23-seaters on the notorious Polokwane run. The first thing he noticed was that with sliding doors one could squeeze in only 47 passengers. Even then, when he slid the door shut, it tended to snip off quite important parts which, despite the normal complacency of taxi commuters, led to complaints and certainly much smarting of the eyes. But with hinged doors he could compress as many as 53 passengers in a vehicle (given a little help in shouldering the door closed). Togetherness’ road test report caused a stir among the manufacturers and resulted in the current delay in implementing the government’s program to replace old taxis with new. The roof of the test vehicle could support almost 2 tons of luggage, as well as chickens and building material, which surprised even the manufacturers. Despite the rather top heavy load the vehicle handled well and Togetherness said he experienced very few serious accidents except when nearing Polokwane where, he said, accidents become inevitable. At one time the passengers at the back began muttering and Togetherness discovered the rear assembly had become incandescent because the handbrake had been left on. “This threatened to ignite the petrol tank but most of my passengers managed to alight,” Togetherness reported. (Brighter readers will spot Togetherness’ little pun.) He managed to repair the bus at the roadside with pieces of corrugated iron and a hammer and resume his journey with a slightly reduced passenger load. The bus put up an impressive performance on the Soweto route but only after he had neutralized the electronic speed governor by striking it with a pipe wrench. Togetherness said the speed control device would not be well accepted especially as many drivers have taken the advanced driving course offered by the manufacturers at the Kyalami race track where drivers clocked up speeds that had Grand Prix drivers clutching their foreheads in disbelief. Togetherness explained, “If we were to crawl down the Golden Highway at a governed 60 km/h it would not only invite parking tickets, it would be an open invitation to hubcap thieves.” On the subject of hubcaps Togetherness was not in favour of a suggestion that the new models dispense with them. “Drivers are not going to like this for they won’t have the means to attach traditional BMW hubcaps which everybody wants” He was in favour of seat belts on all seats because this considerably reduced the number of passengers who were propelled to the front of the vehicle every time the brakes were applied. He warned though that although these buses were safer than current taxis they were unsuitable for driving on pavements which one often has to do in rush hour – their size tended to dismay pedestrians. He approved the power steering for it allowed him to jinx among the traffic lanes without rolling the vehicle which, he said, saved a lot of time. But he was critical of the sturdy side-panels which he said did not allow the sideways expansion of the bus when really full.
Remember the Vetkoek we used to get in South Africa? My favourite was the ones filled with mince! This is a traditional Afrikaans recipe. They are delicious when cut open, buttered, and then filled with either cooked mince or with syrup. Ingredients
I wonder if I might ask you to include a desperate plea for help in the newsletter. I am an ex-pupil of Nazareth House, Cape Town and was at the convent/orphanage during 1940’s – 1958. I am writing a book now and I am desperate to contact any of the “children” who were there with me. Both the males and the females. I would be so grateful if you could add this to the next newsletter and keep it going for me. I have advertised this message on every South African Message Board and Forum that I have come across on the internet and have only had one reply. I would expect that some of them have moved to other countries, just like I did, so I am hoping that someone may read this or someone reading this will know of someone who was there. Yours sincerely
Hi Guys, Potjiekos is fantastic! We just made our second Potjie – the first one was Lamb Neck and the second one Leg of lamb – we just love lamb meat! It’s great fun to make! We realized the No: 1 Potjie is a bit small, just big enough for the two of us – so we’ve just ordered a No: 3 Platpotjie for when our kids and friends come along. My husband Ray, a Dutchman by birth, grew up in South Africa (Johannesburg) from the age of 4 to 16, and later on, with his second wife, spent three more years in South Africa. (I am his third wife.) Both of us are deaf, by the way. Last December, we spent a wonderful holiday in South Africa, traveling a lot and seeing lots of old friends and schoolmates. That’s when we first ate the most delicious Potjiekos at a friends’ home – and ever since then we wanted to have our own Potjiepot … Best regards
The following is from a “withdrawelstruck” expat in England.
I sit on the roof of my pondok all day, squinting across the glare from the ice and snow, hoping to see a ship on the horizon! So far, only a few banana boats with illegal immigrants. An ossewa did come trundling past the other day, but all he had was candles, picks and shovels. I think he was lost as he asked for directions to Pofadder! My weight has gone down to below normal levels, and my doctor, who is 97 years old and from Nababeep says if I don’t eat biltong soon I may go to the big biltong factory in the sky. I do think he has been at the mampoer again, though!
As I sit on the dak of my pondok, still gazing out to sea, ek sien niks nie! I did hear of a shipwreck on the coast however, and after 4 days trek in my ossewa, found only the local scavengers collecting wood from the ship to build a new squatter camp. Yes, we have them here too, but they’re called gypsies! So it was, hey-ho, back to my pondok to sit on the roof and see if I could remember what biltong tasted like. Still hoping that one day my Biltong Maker might arrive, but the hope I hold is dwindling, like the sunset this evening, as I sit on the tin roof of my pondok.
The other day (Fri) I was sitting on the dak of my pondok again trying to remember what biltong tasted like, thinking of Tant Sannie (who didn’t taste that lekker) when in the distance I noticed a cloud of dust. Excitement!!! I fell of the roof (I had been drinking mampoer!) and harnessed up my ossewa to meet this guest. IT WAS MY BLERRIE BILTONG MACHINE !!!!! I shot his bokkie (I did need some meat!) and told him to walk home. It is a piece of art. The first crop of biltong has already disappeared, and am working on the next. Thank you and I bet you are going to miss my updates! Kind regards,
Live Well – Laugh Often – Love Much
Bok coach has his own recipe, says Stofile Spears in Currie Cup appeal ICC to help Gibbs, Boje avoid arrest in India Players appeal won’t diminish umpires’ role
-Where can you watch rugby on TV?-
Click here to find out where in most countries!
We are almost halfway through the year already and have received some very nice contributions to our newsletter from all over the world! Many people have subscribed to our newsletter and many more are joining every day. Mostly they do so because they enjoy reading it and they like to hear from people in other parts of the world. They would love to hear from you too!! Why not put pen to paper (or fingers to the keyboard!), and tell us about anything interesting. About life in your part of the world, what you do and how you live. Perhaps something that happened to you. Perhaps you have some advice to give? Of course it does not have to be about Biltong or food. Anything that is of interest is welcome! Share it with other people around the world!
Our Boerewors has again proven to be as popular as last year (and all the years before)!
You too could have some real South African Boerewors on the braai next time!! Our Boerewors is vacuum packed in quantities of about 500 gram. The price is € 8.45 per kg.
Droëwors, as it is known in South Africa, is as much part of the country’s culinary culture as Biltong, Pap, Boerewors and Potjiekos.
Our price is € 29.00 per kg. Droëwors travels well and posting is an ideal option. We can mail it to you in Europe and the UK via priority mail in minimum quantities of 1 kg. Interested? Give us a call or email.
Lamb on the Spit is a way of entertaining as only known by very few mainly because it is thought to be very expensive. Not so!
Together with the lamb we will treat you to a big pot of curried potatoes as well as a choice between a pasta salad or three-bean salad. Garlic or bread rolls are included as well. There are not many dates left in June and July. If you are planning a function or party with a Lamb on the Spit in mind it is advisable to book early. Remember that we are doing these functions only during weekends.
Booking early is essential and you can do so on
+32(16) 53-9625 or email us. -May and June 2006 are almost booked out and July is filling up as well.-(A Lamb on the Spit can only be done outside because we cook on coals!)
You can click on the links below to view some of the previous issues of our newsletter.
Yes, please subscribe me to your monthly Newsletter! Unsubscribe me please. |
May 2006
If images are not visible in this email, please visit the online version.

![]()
You are receiving this newsletter because you have previously placed an order with Biltongmakers or made an enquiry about Biltong, Boerewors or Potjie Pots or someone has submitted your name to us thinking that you might be interested.
If you do not wish to receive this newsletter you may unsubscribe at the bottom where you will find an automatic email link. Just click on that and send. Your name will then be permanently deleted from our database.If you, your family or your friends want to subscribe to the newsletter please click on this link. Yes, please subscribe me to your monthly Newsletter!
Keerbergen
Belgium May 12, 2006 ![]() We were on the way to the Freedom Day celebrations of the South African Club in Luxembourg. It was April 30th. The setting was beautiful. Right in the middle of Luxembourg, way down a valley in the middle of town and in between ancient walls that date back to the year 963. In between those walls you’ll find Neumünster Abbey dating back to the early 18th century (around 1720). It’s very interesting to read about the history of Luxembourg and if you want to you can do so right here. We arrived well in time to see a couple of local ostrich babies off-loaded into a small pen. Mommy and Daddy were also there in the form of hamburgers. It might have been an idea not to have had the babies there. Quite a couple of people commented on that. With the ostrich babies settled in a pen with sand we also got ourselves installed eventually and the day got underway. There were a tremendous amount of people who came to see the stalls where African Curios, wine and other South African goodies were sold. And then there was the music. Some of it very good and some of it made my hair stand on end. June and I jokingly said that we now at last knew the reason why we left South Africa, especially when a redention of “My Sarie Marais” was given by what sounded like a very constipated performer. But, it was a good day, especially for the organizers who never, in their wildest dreams, had expected to see so many people. The queue for the boerewors rolls was at times so long that we could not see the end and had we known that so many people would turn up we would certainly have brought more hands. But, with only 200 bread rolls ordered and a Potjiekos for 80 people, who would have expected more than 300-400 people at the most. We gratefully accepted all the help given by Craig, Simon and Tino. Thanks a lot guys and much appreciated. We got home late that night nursing a huge cold from standing in the rain all day long.
We finally have our Droëwors drying facility up and running. The price is € 29.00 per kg Droëwors travels well and posting is an ideal option. Interested? Give us a call or email.
This Saturday June is taking me to Rome for a couple of days for my birthday. We are both very much looking forward to that. There is so much to see and do there. I have just finished reading Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons and want to see the places he is talking about. Well, that was it again for this month. Enjoy the rest of it and, let’s hear from you please????? Till next month, All the best, Lo
To so many people, goal setting means that someday, after they have achieved something great, will they be able to enjoy life Instead of measuring your life’s value by your progress to a single goal, remember that the direction you are headed in is more important than temporary results. What is your current direction? Are you moving toward your goals or away from them? Do you need to make a course correction?
By Tim Butcher in Louis Trichardt “I work with the Afrikaner community here every day of the week and I tell you they are close to breaking point,” said Philip Venter, a rugged, Afrikaans-speaking minister whose office walls are hung with guns and trophies. “It is my job to maintain peace, but when you get people thinking they are being persecuted it gets more and more difficult to do this. All it takes is for one of them to snap and I tell you there will be the worst terrorist problem in the world.” A ripple of alarm is spreading through the conservative white communities of the far north of South Africa after this week’s announcement by the government of plans to Africanise traditional Afrikaner names of towns.
A number of names from the local Venda tribes have been put forward for the town, but none is acceptable to its 2,000 whites. Mr Venter said: “The whites in this area accepted what happened with the end of apartheid. “They might not have agreed with it but they accepted it, but now this comes along and it seems just like racism, trying to break down our cultural heritage.” Throughout the transition to black rule in the early 1990s, diehard Afrikaners regularly predicted that they would rebel against a black government – before settling back and just about resuming their old lives. But while once again the talk of “rebellion” is far-fetched, the planned name changes add to Afrikaners’ sense of cultural decline since the end of white rule. The once dominant National Party, the Afrikaner political movement that created and imposed apartheid for more than 40 years, is only a marginal political force now. The Afrikaners’ principal spiritual home, the Dutch Reformed Church, reports declining and ageing congregations, with many young Afrikaners leaving South Africa for Australia or New Zealand to avoid the crime epidemic. The government had one round of name changes at the end of apartheid eight years ago, doing away, for example, with the province name of Transvaal. For people such as Trudie du Plessis, local youth leader of the Right-wing Freedom Front, there are no grounds for a second round. She said: “It does not make any sense from a financial point of view because after changing names a few years ago, millions will have to be spent by businesses on new marketing for the new names.” Outside her mother’s small irrigation business, opinion was hostile among the tanned, stocky Afrikaner farmers in shorts, boots and long socks. “It is just another attempt to mess us around,” one said. Black South Africans say little has changed for whites since the end of apartheid. The ANC council was unapologetic, with the local government councillor reverting to language that harked back to the days of the “struggle”. Joe Maswanganyi said: “The renaming signifies a dramatic break with the past of colonial superiority and racial domination of one race by another. We have got to overturn this history and traverse a new course of historical orientation. “The current names of towns and streets are a sad reminder of a history of oppressive colonial practices.” The two sides appear to be on a collision course as the ANC does not want to be seen to be giving in to a small minority and has set a deadline of the end of the month to come up with the new names. But for Afrikaners such as Mr Venter there appears to be little they can do apart from fall back on their traditional sense of vasbyt, or dogged bloody-mindedness.
It would be interesting to receive some comments regarding the above from our readers – Ed.
FOR SALE
The Kalahari Bar in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
The Kalahari Bar is unique and the first authentic Southern African bar in the U.S.A. It includes many Antique Décor and Memorabilia from Africa.
This is a possible opportunity for someone wanting to move to the U.S.A.
We are trying hard to keep our prices down! The inevitable has happened and our prices have been brought in line with what we pay the factories. Because the material used in the manufacture of our Home Biltong Makers is a by-product of oil, the raw material prices have shot up the last year or so. The new prices are as follows: Rockey’s New Age Home Biltong Maker R 950.00 BUT ……….. Rockey’s New Age Home Biltong maker will still cost only R 895.00 instead of R 950.00 Click here to go to our on-line shop.
Someone wrote in to us claiming that the only way to cure/clean a new Potjie is by making a fire in it!
Now that makes a bit of sense. The fire will burn away all the shellac and other “muti” the Potjie is coated with in the factory leaving it ready for use.Just make sure that you have lots of elbow grease to clean the inside of the Potjie very well after the fire! Important notice!! It has been brought to our notice that some people try to use a higher wattage and different shape globe than supplied with the Biltong Makers. They do this to try and decrease the drying time. Not only does this not work but it it also dangerous!
If we have not given an answer and you can help these people could you please mail them? (Please copy us in on your mails at info@biltongmakers.com so we can help other people who might have the same questions in the future) QUESTION Hoop u kan my help, ek het seker nou al 6 keer probeer om wors te maak, en elke keer skeur die derm, die wors kry nog nie eers behoorlik hitte nie dan skeur die derm uitmekaar uit. Die slagters kyk my verbaas aan as ek hulle vra hoekom dit gebeur, want hulle gee vir my blykbaar die derms wat hulle gebruik. Ek het al als probeer, verskillende resepte, styf stop, sag stop, middelmatig enigeiets. Ek merk dat mens die derms in water moet lê voor die tyd, kan dit my fout wees, want ek doen dit nie? Ek sal dit werklik waardeer as u kan help. Groete Billy van Schalkwyk
Because of my high blood pressure I have to avoid salt under any circumstances. Thank you in anticipations and sunny African regards, Klaus Schindler
We have been making biltong in our Rockey 5kg Biltong maker with normal beef. It works like a dream! Best Regards Eric Maingard
I live in Cuyahoga Falls near Cleveland in Ohio. Regards,
I live and work in Calgary and am interested in hearing from other South Africans in Canada who have tried (or maybe even succeeded) in sponsoring a parent over to Canada. Kind regards,
Lions vs Mongooses: which has more sex?
By James Clarke ![]() It was no exaggeration. We passed the spot going in and coming out of the reserve for the next four days and there they were each time. Lions are like that – they go on for days. But even more insatiable are dwarf mongooses. Years ago, Frank Redgment of Forest Town, Johannesburg told me he and his wife watched some dwarf mongooses consuming large quantities of ants in the Kruger Park. When Frank got home, he looked up the dwarf mongoose’s CV in Reay Smithers’ Mammals of Southern Africa. He said: “My mind boggled. There must be something in the dwarf mongoose’s diet that, if synthesised, could knock Viagra sales for a loop and pay off our national debt.” The alpha female is receptive for five days, during which time the alpha male copulates as many as 2 386 times – 2 386 times in five days! Assuming he quits at night in order to pant, he must do it once every two minutes. Smithers says copulation takes 21 seconds. Even so, I mean… Ring. Ring. (Sorry about this. Please carry on reading while I answer the phone.) “Hello, this is the Stoep Talk Organisation, purveyor of rich fertiliser to the nation – all our agents are currently busy but your call is important to us…” (Oh blimey, it’s him – the E*D*I*T*O*R. Why is he always looking over my shoulder? Why isn’t he out at lunch or something?) “Yes sir. Yes, as you say, I was getting a bit carried away. Yes. No. Yes. Yes. But think of it! Every two minutes! I mean, could you… ? What? I mean pardon? Yes, very well. I’ll desist, Yes, immediately.” (No sense of humour.) Low down on chutney Last month, readers voted Mrs Ball’s Chutney as one of the icons of South Africa. But I’ve got news for you. He wrote “Another secret recipe… is known as Mrs Ball’s Chutney. This came to the Cape from the US in an unusual way. Mrs Ball’s father was Captain Adkins, master of the SS Quanza, and he took his wife to sea with him. “The Quanza was wrecked at East London… in 1872. All on board were saved and Mrs Ball’s mother had the presence of mind to save the chutney recipe. “Amelia became Mrs Ball (and) decided to bottle the chutney on a commercial scale.” Mrs Ball died in 1962 aged 97. May the fourth Last year on May 4, people were saying to each other “May the fourth be with you – yuk yuk yuk.” Dr Hugh Cobb points out that this year, May 4 is doubly noteworthy. At two minutes and three seconds past 1am, the time and date will read: 01:02:03 04:05:06. He adds, “That won’t ever happen again. You may now return to your normal life.” Hey, Hugh! How about in 2106?
We have seen so many recipes for Biltong that it seems that they all look the same. It is from Tony Proudlock in Sandton near Johannesburg This is a recipe I was given by a lady at the Meat Board in Pretoria in the late 1960’s. The Meat Use topside or sirloin cut into strips about an inch thick. The Spices
In my biltong maker it takes four to five days. Hope you enjoy,
This one is from Nico Botha in Australia Frans Badenhorst had a cultural experience for his second son, Japie, the other day. He was teaching him that boerewors is a tradition that needs to be mastered in many ways! We have come to the conclusion that our kids needs to be taught how to make wors, prior to “stuffing” their faces at each and every braai! It went well, and Japie learned well for his first lesson under the watchful eye of Frans, Louis van Zyl and myself! Yes we did give him some stick, but it as we all know part of the learning curve into being able to make wors like the manne!! We thought that a large number of South African kids live abroad, and through your monthly newsletter we should explore the avenues their folks follow to “Keep up the South African Traditions, and most of all our morals and principals, that we are all known for. Perhaps we should ask the parents what do they do to keep in touch with the Homeland, “Subscribe to the Huisgenoot, Sarie, or Landbou Weekblad, Rapport or Sunday Times! I think we will have a good old laugh with what will come out from all over the world! “Yes”! “There is a madness in place here” as we (die ou manne) now wish to sit back, get the kids to make the wors, stywe pap en sous, start the braai , know the harde hout types available in their local kontrei for the vuur and then braai and fetch us a “cold one” out of the beer fridge. And then they can ear drop on the conversation of the good old times! Perhaps the Ou Toppies needs to show us what they do, to achieve their goals for the kids! But seeing that women have an equal say in the modern world we could see a mum coming forward, with little Sannie and blow us all away with how they teach the daughters to make wors, or start a harde hout vuur !! Last but not least, I have decided to challenge the Boerewors empire manne with a competition to where they keep the “frosties”! We in a day of (BB) “Brain Brightness” be kwassed my beer fridge with a “true reflection of African colours!! As Mzwandile will say ” this one is looking good brother!
I also think we should have little snippets of previous stories or goeters paste onto the web to show the rest of the newly arrived Global Boerewors Empire migrants what we have discussed, did and achieved. Well it’s time to say goodbye as I have a major assignment due in two weeks, but I am about to leave mum and the kids behind and do a bit of contract work as a Risk Analysis for a large mining company in Western Australia. Lekker mal hey !! But at R19,500 a day it is surely worth it, and then the hard work with the studies is worth every minute of it!! Groete Nico Whitsunday, Australia We will run the “Vlermuis” story again soon Nico! – Ed
Hi there, from Lagos Thank you so much for your “newsy”, informative and fun Newsletter which I receive every month. Our country of origin is SA ~ naturally! We are fortunate enough to be able to return to SA 3 times a year ~ basically for the School Holidays. Our children attend the American International School Lagos, and we look forward to the 2 month summer break in June/July. In Jan 2006, I opened my own Company called Dream Options I have a Nigerian partner, who has her own Law Practice, both in Nigeria and the UK. The photos on the site are from an Annual event called Small World. This is definitely the event of the year for ex-pats in Nigeria. It is a fund-raiser. One of the most exciting things to hit Lagos, is the opening of SA based Shoprite (Checkers) and Game. We also have Debonairs, Nando’s, and there is talk of a News Café! Wow! This is such a treat! Generally, life in Lagos can be summed up as follows:
I could go on forever! It is a really interesting, expensive place to live! And I love it but know that we are only on contract, and will return to SA! Thanx for listening to “how we live in Lagos” Regards,
“Zat martial art from my country Japan” replies the Jap and strolls off in a stroppy way. The following day the farmer finds the Jap in “His” seat again. “Zat Karate from my country Japan” and as stroppy as ever ambles off. Now the farmer is dik die moer in……… The farmer replies: “That, my china was a bliksemse Isuzu 2.8 litre turbo diesel bakkie se wheelspanner….also from your country Japan”
Live Well – Laugh Often – Love Much
Watson gets a slap in the face from White Brits a better bet than Botha De Bruyn joins the Warriors Selectors get smart for World Cup
-Where can you watch rugby on TV?-
Click here to find out where in most countries!
We are almost halfway through the year already and have received some very nice contributions to our newsletter from all over the world! Many people are subscribed to our newsletter and many more are joining every day. Mostly they do so because they enjoy reading it and like to hear from people in other parts of the world. They would love to hear from you too!! Why not put pen to paper (or fingers to the keyboard!), and tell us about anything interesting. About life in your part of the world, what you do and how you live. Perhaps something that happened to you. Perhaps you have some advice to give? Of course it does not have to be about Biltong or food. Anything that is of interest is welcome! Share it with other people around the world!
So far 600kg of boerewors has been made since the start of April and most of it is gone!
You too could have some real South African Boerewors on the braai next time!! Just give us a call on +32 (16) 53.96.25 or email us. Our Boerewors is vacuum packed in quantities of about 500 gram. The price is € 8.45 per kg.
Droë Wors, as it is known in South Africa, is as much part of the country’s culinary culture as Biltong, Pap, Boerewors and Potjiekos.
Our price is € 29.00 per kg which compares very favourably with what is being charged in the South Africa Super Markets such as Pick & Pay and Woolworth. The average price for Droë Wors in those stores is between R 250.00 and R 300.00 per kg. So, if you want some real South African Droë Wors give us a call on +32 (16) 53.96.25 or mail us at info@boerewors.be. Since Droë Wors travels so well we can mail it to you in Europe and the UK via priority mail in minimum quantities of 2kg.
Lamb on the Spit is a way of entertaining as only known by very few mainly because it is thought to be very expensive. Not so!
Together with the lamb we will treat you to a big pot of curried potatoes as well as a choice between a pasta salad or three-bean salad. Garlic or bread rolls are included as well. There are still two weekends open during May and June. If you are planning a function or party with a Lamb on the Spit in mind it is advisable to book early. Remember that we are doing these functions only during weekends.
Booking early is essential and you can do so on
+32(16) 53-9625 or email us. -May and June 2006 are almost booked out and July is filling up as well.-(A Lamb on the Spit can only be done outside because we cook on coals!)
You can click on the links below to view some of the previous issues of our newsletter.
Yes, please subscribe me to your monthly Newsletter! Unsubscribe me please. |
April 2006
If images are not visible in this email, please visit the online version.

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You are receiving this newsletter because you have previously placed an order with Biltongmakers or made an enquiry about Biltong, Boerewors or Potjie Pots or someone has submitted your name to us thinking that you might be interested.
If you do not wish to receive this newsletter you may unsubscribe at the bottom where you will find an automatic email link. Just click on that and send. Your name will then be permanently deleted from our database.If you, your family or your friends want to subscribe to the newsletter please click on this link. Yes, please subscribe me to your monthly Newsletter!
Keerbergen
Belgium April 8, 2006 ![]() My daughter who lives in Singapore came to London last week and told me that she found it very cold. Well, I suppose that compared to tropical climates, it is cold in Europe 90% of the time. But it is full of colour and flowers again outside.
Thank you to all who voted
Well, that’s it from me. Enjoy the rest of the newsletter especially the input from some of our readers and the story about Eva Jordaan in Iceland. Come on guys and dolls. Tell us what it’s like there by you. Everyone would love to hear from you! Till next month, All the best, Lo
![]() We all thought (without much conviction); good luck to her, let’s hope it will work. Little did we know what her plans were! Last month the first pictures started coming in and we were totally flabbergasted. Here was an entrepreneur who had set up a small factory, went through the difficult process of getting licenses, complying with health authorities and you name it, she’s done it! It is a pity we can’t show all the pictures but the ones we do have here tell their own story! After Eva sent us the pictures we wrote back to compliment her on her achievements. And so a couple of mails later we had most of the story about what Eva is planning! Eva writes: Thank you for the compliment. I have to have the set-up like a full blown meat processing factory as the Icelanders are very, very strict on hygiene. There is nothing more that I would like than to hang the meat from the rafters in my house but that is not allowed of course.
When Paul and I visited South Africa last year in September we went to so many different Biltong shops and places were it was being made and we looked at each other and said: “If we could do it this way in Iceland I would have enough money (1,200 miljoen Icelandic Krone) just to purchase meat and we would not have to spend the money on getting a factory set-up as we have had to do.” The rules and regulations for this kind of business seem to be almost non-existent in South Africa. We even had to re-paint the house from top to bottom and side to side with special paint for buildings being used for meat processing, hotels kitchens etc. The meat taste is so great here (it is basically organic) that the spices needed are minimal. I found through experimenting that I basically only need black pepper and coriander to get the best taste from the meat.
Last night we had a meeting regarding this exhibition to elect a chairperson to handle all the organizing etc. At this meeting I presented the biltong packed in little 80 gram white packets and the people could not stop eating! The Mayor of our little town even spoke to the TV crew that visited our neck of the woods to make recordings of why the people are leaving the smaller towns for the Capital, about me and they wanted an interview on the spot. So there I was, no make-up and not dressed to kill and talking to the Press! Now I can also say I have been on TV! The best thing is that the whole of Iceland is going to see us and the product that is going to hit this country and take it by storm. Speak soon, Eva
Since then Eva has taken delivery of a huge industrial vacuum packing machine. We will keep you informed!!
FOR SALE
The Kalahari Bar in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
The Kalahari Bar is unique and the first authentic Southern African bar in the U.S.A. It includes many Antique Décor and Memorabilia from Africa.
This is a possible opportunity for someone wanting to move to the U.S.A.
The Biltong maker and the spice work like a dream. Both my daughter and I feel that our homemade Biltong is by far superior to the biltong that local butchers here in the UK sell. Regards Brian Egglestone
Details on ROCKEY’S 5kg Home Biltong Maker can be found by clicking on this link. You can have a look at the BILTONG BUDDY here.
We are holding our prices for ONE MORE MONTH despite a 20% price increase in South Africa due to a massive increase in raw materials! The new prices from next month will be as follows: Rockey’s New Age Home Biltong Maker R 950.00 SO, MAKE USE OF THIS OPPORTUNITY IN APRIL ……….. Rockey’s New Age Home Biltong maker will still cost only R 795.00 instead of R 850.00 Click here to go to our on-line shop.
Many people have been writing to us over the years, where they could find a meat cutting chart.
With the demise of the old “Meat Board” during all the changes in South Africa their cutting charts seemed to have disappeared as well. The organization replacing the Meat Board is Samic (South African Meat Industry Company) and they have some very old cutting charts that can be accessed from their web site. However, it is such a mission to find the charts that we have downloaded them on to the Biltongmakers web site. So, just click on the one you want to see. Important notice!! It was brought to our notice that some people try to use a higher wattage and different shape globe than supplied with the Biltong Makers. They do this to try and decrease the drying time. Not only does this not work but it it also dangerous!
If we have not given an answer and you can help these people could you please mail them? (Please copy us in on your mails at info@biltongmakers.com so we can help other people who might have the same questions in the future) QUESTION I live in Finland and I spoke to our local butcher, if you can call him that! The shops here are not like in South Africa. Kind regards ANSWER Perhaps you could contact Arnfin who stays in Norway. He has been making biltong in his biltong maker since 2000! – Ed This is what he says Just to let you know that my first batch of Biltong was a great success. It was made of fresh frozen roe-deer (similar to Springbok). Arnfin Seldal
I seem to be having a bit of a problem regarding the sweetness of the finished biltong product. It tastes like American Jerky and it is terrible! Kindest regards,
I’m looking at making my own Boerewors from home for myself. I need to buy the equipment to do this, but don’t know where to find it. Thanks in advance.
Hello, I have been making biltong for some time now and have tried different recipes but I can’t seem to get the biltong quite right. Sorry to read the news of your good friend’s passing. Kind regards,
Can one make chicken biltong and if so, are there any recipes for it? Regards
Madiba and Mrs Ball’s in battle of the icons
By James Clarke ![]() The three most commonly suggested icons were: Madiba, Mrs Ball’s Chutney and biltong! Then came braai; boerewors; proteas; Castle beer; Klippies en Coke; the national flag, the sun (sunny days). Amazingly only one reader mentioned the springbok. Barbara Christie suggested: Madiba’s shirt; shack with satellite dish; fynbos; healthy fruit; marauding baboons; vuvuzelas; big mamas (the South African matriarch); Cape Town; Patricia Lewis; potholes (big enough to fish in). Eshaana Bapooo of Springs: Beaded doilies (covering tannie’s milk jug); melktert; biltong (which everybody smuggles through customs); painted ostrich eggs; naartjies; Yebo gogo (who hasn’t used this at least once?); Ryk Neethling; loveLife billboards (that make no sense whatsoever); Mrs Ball’s Chutney; Klippies & Coke.
Tony Thacker wrote: “Since Desmond Tutu turns up so often perhaps we could have his nose declared a World Heritage Site?” Herbie Neilson’s list: Table Mountain; ox wagon; gold-mine headgear; lion kill; braai, beer and biltong; takkies; beach at sunrise; pipe-smoking Xhosa woman; Oriental Bazaar; protea. Bridget Ballard listed things her daughter misses since emigrating to New Zealand: Ouma rusks; Mrs Ball’s chutney; biltong; Highveld thunderstorms; our fabulous record-breaking cricket team (Bridget must have written this immediately after the famous 50-overs match); Madiba; bi-lingual soapies; our 12 public holidays a year; mine dumps; sandy shores. Nick and Des Andrew: a stoep (your column too!); first class rugby; Table Mountain; Castle beer; John Robbie; open road; black faces; Chappies bubblegum; bare feet; game reserve.
Ramohau of Clocolan says: If one is fortunate enough to live in the Eastern Free State these 10 icons are all around us: Sunrise over the Malutis; cherry blossom time; autumnal coloured poplars; beautiful sandstone home; sunset; Basotho hat; golden wheat fields waving in the breeze; ice-cold draft beer; snow on the Malutis; a traffic cop’s speed gun. Among icons suggested by Rikjan Scott, in London were: the sweet smell of wet tarmac after a Highveld thunder storm, Johnny Clegg, Kwaito music, Mrs Ball’s Chutney, jacarandas in bloom and Mandela’s little dance. Jannis Rodrigues included: the braai, Klippies and Coke (or Tassies), alcoholic oranges at rugby and cricket matches. Among items suggested by Grahamn Haiden, an expat now in Auckland, New Zealand, were: a braai; Mrs Ball’s Chutney; game biltong (not beef) and a Highveld storm. Rob Marshall of Ermelo included Nelson Mandela, Ernest Oppenheimer, Gary Player, a gold mine, the Zulu people and Mrs Ples (the Taung Child would have been even better). And the winners (of R100) are… Gerrit and Ann de Villiers of Alberton from last month. Their list was:
So be warned, don’t ever bite a mosquito.
For the citrus sauce:
Now, how to go about it….. The Sauces For the Garlic Sauce you simply mix all the ingredients together. The Cray Fish
I must say I`m really glad to be receiving your newsletter every month. My husband and I are always looking forward to reading the newsletter. It makes life in this cold and as it seems constantly grey Germany a bit more bearable! We`ve been in Germany for approximately 6 years now and my husband has a great job BUT it is so hard finding REAL friends in this country. It seems near to impossible to us. It is just not the same! DIS NET NIE SUID AFRIKA NIE !!! We miss our fellow South Africans a lot. Because our two sons go to school here and have adjusted very well we just have to stick it out here BUT we will always stay homesick. Luckily we have you to brighten up our lives a little bit with this Newsletter. We have bought the Biltongmaker and are really glad we did! A little bit of home away from home. Thanks!!!! We would love to hear from other South African families living in Germany. So if some of you would like to write me an e-mail, your more than welcome. Maybe we’ll even have a Braai together. Pap en sous en Boerewors…geen probleem! Manuela Wilkat
Oud-Matie Reünie in België
Kontak Alison by: Groete.
Old-Matie Reunion in Belgium
Contact Alison at: Regards
Coetzee takes Australian citizenship Nobel Prize-winning South African author J M Coetzee has become an Australian citizen. Adelaide, Australia, Nobel Prize-winning South African author J M Coetzee became an Australian citizen on Monday, saying he had been attracted by the country’s “free and generous spirit”. Coetzee was born in South Africa in 1940 and his writing, which won him the Booker Prize twice as well as the 2003 Nobel Prize for Literature, reflected the sufferings of a country torn by the racial policy of apartheid. He retired as an English professor at Cape Town University in January 2002, a post he had held since 1984, and moved to South Australia where he is an honorary research fellow with the University of Adelaide’s English department. Coetzee became a citizen on Monday at a special ceremony conducted by Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone. He said he had been drawn to Australia since his first visit 15 years ago. “I did not so much leave South Africa, a country with which I retain strong emotional ties, but come to Australia,” he was quoted as saying by the national AAP news agency. A tremendous compliment! “I came because from the time of my first visit in 1991, I was attracted by the free and generous spirit of the people, by the beauty of the land itself and, when I first saw Adelaide, by the grace of the city I now have the honour to call my home.” Vanstone said Coetzee’s decision to become an Australian citizen was a tremendous compliment to the country. “We take pride in our diversity and our ability to live harmoniously with one another,” she said. “In Australia we value basic rights – democracy and equality under law and equality of treatment and opportunity. “Our strength as a nation flows from our joint commitment to these shared values. It is important that in these challenging times that Australian citizenship continues to unify us.”
You’ve got it all wrong about George Bush! (See last month’s newsletter) It was an innocent Brazilian civilian – no crime committed – but it took about nine dum-dum bullets to the head and thereabouts to kill him by Britain’s Finest. All now being desperately swept under the carpet to protect Britain’s wretched, lying and thoroughly immoral government. Sorry to introduce a note of reality into your always thoroughly enjoyable newsletter, but keep it up. Best regards
I need to correct you on one point mentioned in your newsletter of March 2006. John Maher
Live Well – Laugh Often – Love Much
Black Caps arrive for Test series. Top six owe Proteas tons of runs. Campese may work with the Boks. A blueprint to resuscitate SA rugby.
-Where can you watch rugby on TV?-
Click here to find out where in most countries!
As a South African orientated web site we are constantly looking to contact more and more South Africans across the world.
Not only to tell them about how they can make their own Biltong but also to give them a chance to share their stories with other South Africans the world over.So, here is your chance to help us. If you know about a South African family or friend living near you or perhaps somewhere far away, why not tell them about us and then us about them. If the response we receive is large enough and, directly due to your efforts people place orders with us, you could be rewarded by receiving one of our products totally free of charge. What an easy way to perhaps get your own Home Biltong Maker without having to pay a cent for it! You can mail us at info@biltongmakers.com During the last month many people went to the trouble once again of submitting their friend’s and family’s names and we would like to thank all!
Now that we are already well into the new year it would be nice to get some contributions for the newsletter from all our readers. Many people are subscribed to our newsletter and many more are joining every day. Mostly they do so because they enjoy reading it and like to hear from people in other parts of the world. They would love to hear from you too!! Why not put pen to paper (or fingers to the keyboard!), and tell us about anything interesting. About life in your part of the world, what you do and how you live. Perhaps something that happened to you. Perhaps you have some advice to give? Of course it does not have to be about Biltong or food. Anything that is of interest is welcome! Share it with other people around the world!
The first batches for 2006 have been made and delivered and there is ample stock at the butcher’s and in our freezers as well. We’ve had some on the braai already and you could smell it from a mile away! Lovely!! If you want some boeries on your first barbecue of the season call us now on +32 (16) 53.96.25 or mail us at info@boerewors.be
Potjiekos, as it is known in South Africa, is a fun way of entertaining. It takes 3-5 hours to prepare and make a “Potjie” (depending on what you cook) and then you can tuck in and enjoy it. This includes everything from the “Potjie” itself to the plates and eating utensils. For an extra € 2.00 we even make the Pap! For venues more than 50km from our home base in Keerbergen there is a small transport fee.
Booking is essential and you can do so on +32 (16) 53.96.25 or email us!
(Please note that our “Potjiekos” can only be done outside because we cook on gas or coals!)
Lamb on the Spit is a way of entertaining as only known by very few mainly because it is thought to be very expensive. Not so!
Together with the lamb we will treat you to a big pot of curried potatoes as well as a choice between a pasta salad or three-bean salad. Garlic or bread rolls are included as well. We have already received many bookings for the months of May and June. If you are planning a function or party with a lamb on the Spit in mind it is advisable to book early. Remember that we are doing these functions only during weekends.
Booking early is essential and you can do so on
+32(16) 53-9625 or email us. -May and June 2006 are almost booked out-(As with our “Potjiekos” a Lamb on the Spit can only be done outside because we cook on coals!)
You can click on the links below to view some of the previous issues of our newsletter.
Yes, please subscribe me to your monthly Newsletter! Unsubscribe me please. |
March 2006
If images are not visible in this email, please visit the online version.

![]()
You are receiving this newsletter because you have previously placed an order with Biltongmakers or made an enquiry about Biltong, Boerewors or Potjie Pots or someone has submitted your name to us thinking that you might be interested.
If you do not wish to receive this newsletter you may unsubscribe at the bottom where you will find an automatic email link. Just click on that and send. Your name will then be permanently deleted from our database.If you, your family or your friends want to subscribe to the newsletter please click on this link. Yes, please subscribe me to your monthly Newsletter!
Keerbergen
Belgium March 04 2006 ![]() “Oh, look” June said. “It’s almost seven o’clock and it’s still light outside! And so it was. Slowly but surely we are moving towards Spring, the mornings when it will be light early again and those long warm summer nights when you can still sit in the sun at 9 or 10 o’clock in the evening. On the 1st of March it was officially Spring in the northern hemisphere. The same as the 1st of September is in the bottom half of our world. That’s when the swimming pools open in South Africa and summer is on the way! That morning there were no swimming pools opening here in Belgium but instead the clouds opened with a heavy downpour of snow. It was gray and sombre outside and June hardly got out of the driveway to go to work! But, as the morning progressed the clouds disappeared, the sky turned a brilliant blue with the sun “beating” down on the white winter landscape outside. It was beautiful! That’s when I say to myself that this is what winter should be like. Had it been weekend it would have been fantastic to go for a long walk through one of the forests nearby and stop for a hot lunch with a steaming glass of gluhwein. But, it was the middle of the week so we had to work and the best we could do was to turn up the central heating and curl up in the lounge with a nice hot drink that night.
I have added some pictures of that “Spring day” for you all to see.(Click to see them big) So, we are moving to the summer and all of you down South are going the opposite way! We are looking forward to a nice warm summer with many an afternoon and evening on a “terrasje” somewhere having a drink and just enjoying watching the people go by. Nothing like it!
You can also click here for the latest update of our boerewors information leaflet.
Well, that was it for this month. Please keep on writing to us. Just like it is so nice for us to hear about other people and how they live, it would be nice for them to read about you! Till next month, Take care Lo
Sit back, make yourself comfortable and read AND listen to this story……… What is “boeremusiek”? What is the character of “Boeremusiek”? What are the origins of “Boeremusiek”? “Boeremusiek” is largely European in origin and it would be a misconception to think that it was brought to South Africa by the early settlers. Most of it was imported fairly recently but acquired a flavour of its own and remained in vogue here long after it went out of fashion abroad. How did it get to South Africa? There where also music teachers who noted down local tunes. The first person to do this was Charles Ettienne Boniface (1787-1853) who arrived in the Cape in February 1807
(Short excerpts from the book by Wilhelm Shultz, “Die ontstaan en ontwikkeling van Boeremusiek”)
And now……sit back and listen!
Just click on any of the songs below – You need a media player of some sort installed on your computer – Wie maak Boeremusiek lekker Daar’s ‘n wind wat waai Ek laaik haar Groen Koringlande
Someone wrote a while ago that when his first batch of Biltong was ready in his Home Biltong Maker he thought he’d “died and gone to heaven” That is the way most of our Home Biltong Maker users think. And no wonder! With the price of Biltong and the terrible quality you get most of the time, it must be “heaven” to have a piece of your own, home made Biltong. Biltong that tastes like YOU want it to taste and not the way someone else made it. Here are just a couple of comments from very happy Home Biltong Makers in different parts of the world. “This is the fabbest biltong I think I’ve ever tasted! Congrats on such a success!
Cheers
Best regards to all the Biltong Team. John Renwick
Details on ROCKEY’S 5kg Home Biltong Maker can be found by clicking on this link. You can have a look at the BILTONG BUDDY here.
Rockey’s New Age Home Biltong maker will still cost only R 795.00 instead of R 850.00 Click here to go to our on-line shop.
We live in Michigan,USA. Have been here for 10 years after leaving South Africa. I don’t know if your readers are familiar with SKYPE but is is a wonderful Internet service that allows you to make calls over your Internet COMPLETELY FREE to other SKYPE users or calls to regular phones for really cheap rates (around 2 to 3 c per minute). We have been using it for months and nothing else out there beats it. Calls are as good, if not better than regular phone calls. Great for keeping in contact with the folks “Back home”!! Their website is www.skype.com. Keep up the good work ! M Pauwels (I totally agree with the above. SKYPE is great and FREE!. We make regular video-calls to South Africa and the quality is good provided you have a fast connection. – Ed) Important notice!! It was brought to our notice that some people try to use a higher wattage and different shape globe than supplied with the Biltong Makers. They do this to try and decrease the drying time. Not only does this not work but it it also dangerous!
If we have not given an answer and you can help these people could you please mail them? (Please copy us in on your mails @ info@biltongmakers.com so we can help other people who might have the same questions in the future) QUESTION I was wondering if it’s possible to dry biltong in a fan assisted oven on the lowest heat possible? Thanks,
Does one have to hang the biltong under a fan and, if so, will an aircon do? Regards,
Hi there all you Biltongmakers Thank you for your great web site, it helped me a lot, but I need to ask you if you could help me in making Kabanossi. Tjaart Swanepoel
What happens if the Aliens reply?
By James Clarke ![]() It will be able to transmit into deep space and receive. The question is: what happens if we receive an intelligent message? The scientists have agreed on one thing: “Don’t answer it!” They prescribe that “no response should be sent until appropriate international consultations have taken place”. This decision comes as a great relief to me. The last thing I want is for Planet Earth to attract the attention of some giant planet which might then send a space bus load of lizardmen, 70m high in their stockinged feet, who come tramping all over us as if we were ants seeking the intelligent life that replied to their transmission. Since space probing by radio waves began in 1959 the most intelligent signal received has been from a garage-door remote-control device. One can imagine an international team discussing how to respond to a garage door. Ever since scientists set up Seti (Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) in the United States, this column has advocated that we do the opposite. Rather go for a Kohdasu policy (Keep Our Heads Down and Shut Up). This is because I fear that if there is intelligent life out there, its beings might be bigger, meaner and greedier than us earthlings. The last thing we want to do is attract their attention. They might harvest us to extinction, just as we have done to various species on our own planet. They might collect us in bags for sale in open-air markets on Planet Zug, selling us by the scoop like supermarket nuts. They might carry our skyscrapers and railway trains back with them for their mountain-sized kids to play with – after shaking out all the ants. Or, as I have said before, they might be cold, slimy, smelly creatures who take a shine to us and with hearts overflowing with affection crawl into our beds at night for warmth and company. The one ray of hope in all this is that if we do receive a signal it will probably be millions of years old. This is because if there is indeed life out there it will be on a planet zillions of light-years away. On the other hand what’s to say they can travel a million times faster than light and can send remote-controlled vacuum cleaners to suck up and bring home little samples of distant planets – such as South Africa? Tell me, Don Donald Rumsfeld is giving President George Bush his daily briefing on Iraq and ends by saying: “Yesterday, three Brazilian soldiers were killed.” “Oh NO!” shouts the president, clasping his head, “That’s absolutely disastrous!” His staff are stunned by his despairing reaction. Finally, Bush looks up, turns to Rumsfeld and whispers, “Don, how many million are there in a brazillion?” Smart fellow A philosophy professor gave a one-question exam after a semester that had dealt with a broad array of topics. The class were already seated and ready to go when the professor picked up his chair, plopped it on his desk and wrote on the board: “Use everything we have learnt this semester and prove that this chair does not exist.” Some students wrote over 30 pages in one hour but one was up and finished in less than a minute. Weeks later he found out he had received an “A”. His answer was just two words: “What chair?”
We had this one a couple of years ago but when I saw it appearing again I just knew we had to have it again. There’s nothing like it! One day when I am appointed Minister of South African Culinary Affairs I will decree that a monument be erected to the Frikkadel. Now hold on, before you shudder in horror. I am not talking about those ghastly pale meat ball concoctions, generally referred to as Mystery Balls and commonly associated with watery gravy and boiled vegetables — served in canteens, hostels, roadside eateries and military establishments. No friends, I am talking about a proper meatball, put together with fresh ingredients, love and care, and fried to golden perfection. It is probably the most versatile of local dishes: my mother loves it with vegetables, mashed potatoes and gravy; my wife prefers it cold with a salad; my neighbour loves it with boiled cabbage, and my children and I make “boere-hamburgers” with our Frikkadels — complete with cheese sauce, sliced onion and tomato, lettuce leaves and gherkins on a roll, served with a generous portion of chips! It is absolutely superb with fresh pasta and a simple tomato and onion sauce. Or enjoy it cold with salad, or make sandwiches for the children. Top up your wine, sit yourselves down and let me tell you the secrets of a really good Frikkadel. To make 10-16 Frikkadels you will need
Now we’ll make them as follows
Once you have mastered the basics you can experiment with additional flavours and tastes. When I plan to serve Frikkadels with pasta I always add a pinch of Thyme, Sage and Tarragon. For a nice spicy flavour add a few dashes of Tabasco sauce, a teaspoon of finely chopped garlic and a finely chopped chili or two when you start mixing the ingredients. For a really good sauce to serve with the Frikkadels (and particularly nice if you are serving rice or mashed potatoes with it): Slice two onions thinly and fry over medium heat in butter or olive oil until soft, then add a tin of whole peeled tomato, coarsely chopped; a pinch of sugar, black pepper and salt. Let’s raise our glasses and drink a toast to the Frikkadel!
A big South African hello from Dubai, where rice is served on top of food and certain hand signal regarded as very rude back home, simply means “wait a minute” or “hold on”. Where people’s driving skills are 70% worse than the Taxi’s back home and phoning someone at 2am in the morning to discuss a business opportunity is normal. Being away from home in such bizarre surroundings somehow brings out the patriotic spirit in a person, but never before have I experienced it like this. One of the areas us South Africans have greatly influenced are the supermarkets as well. The local supermarket like Spinneys and Choitrams stock Boerewors and attempt to make biltong as well, (a bit dry for my liking). If you are lucky enough to get there on the right day and time you might be able to save (or negotiate) the last packet of boerewors from a fellow South African, whom has already stacked 20 packs in his trolley for the freezer. Other South African product that involved in the shelf emptying race are OUMA Rusks, Pronutro, Rooibos tea (a rarity), Mrs Balls Chutney, All Gold and Iwisa PAP. At night we gather our findings and get together for a Potjiekos or braai, listen to some Afrikaans music and talk about the weather back home. Liezel Maree
Hello everyone! We moved to Melbourne about 2 and a half years ago from Cape Town. We absolutely love living here. There is only a couple of things that we miss here.
We live on the outskirts of a small town called Creswick. In South Africa we always wanted to live on a “kleinhoewe”/small holding but just could not do it on accord of the crime situation. Here we get to live our dream. We have sheep, chickens, ducks, dogs, cats, fishes and a guinea pig – oh yes a few possums that eat the dog food that we leave outside at night. Every time when the parrots come and graze on our lawn, I get that feeling that someone’s very “expensive” pet has flown away. Then afterwards I realize that they are only wild birds. We love living here and still cannot come to terms that the crime situation here is nearly Zero. We don’t lock our cars. We only realized after 4 weeks that one of our back doors was open and when my husband leaves last for work, he forgets to close the gate and the front door. When we get back in the evening. we had that weird feeling that our home was burgled, but no, nothing gone. Here are a lot of South Africans living here. The weather is about the same as in Cape Town and we adapted better that I ever thought. The kids are doing great at school and have lots of friends. We miss our family but Aussie friends here are so genuine that they feel more like family than friends. All around our town is a forest with beautiful lakes. There is all over stainless steel barbies (braais) that work with gas or electricity. You can braai all your meat on the gas plates for free and nobody pinches the stainless steel plates for scrap metal. This is a wonderful country but we do miss our family and South African friends. Regards
To the team at Biltong Makers I received my 5kg Biltong maker in Prague on the 2nd January 2006, via family who went to SA and saved me the expensive shipping cost. Needless to say, in exchange for some “pukka” Biltong! I am already on my third batch and going great guns! Attempts to dry biltong in fan-oven or a food dehydrator did not render the desired results. It somehow tasted to “cooked”! Since my English partner loved the taste of the improvised method we decided to give the “real” thing a try. Now it is “Footie, beer and biltong”! The American Jerky that is available here is prohibitively expensive and in addition , our novice attempts tasted a lot better. We gave some to our Czech and expat friends to try and received a positive response. Even South Africans living here, were impressed. The result being, we are now in the biltong making business. Our first orders went out today. I suppose we will be greeting the staff at Makro and the spice shop on a first name basis soon. Finding some of the spices here can be a bit of a drag, especially whole coriander, but between a resourceful “Boere-meisie” en a determined “Brit”, we stopped next to a spice truck at the market, enquired whether he had coriander, and voila, a new contact plus a discounted price. We do Coriander, Teriyaki and Spicy, so far. The experiment with Turkey went very well and also caters for the folk that don’t like the taste of the beef too much. Hopefully the next step will be “Droe Wors”! If anyone wants to swap recipes or compare , just let me know. I have visited every website regarding recipes and tips to compile my own taste. I have also found that the strength of salt differs, believe it or not! P.S. I believe you are thinking about distributors for machines and spices. When you a ready for Europe, please bear me in mind. Thanks for a great Website and Newsletter. It brings South Africa to Europe for us. Liz Gravell
Here is a poem sent to us By Nico Botha from Australia It is a poem by Danette Kotze Black Label op Paternoster se stoep Agter sing ‘n tafel “Ou Ryperd” op Transkaroo se wysie Oorkant die straat hou klein seuntjies groot krewe vas, Tietiesbaai se volk stap heen en weer verby, Die wolwedans skemer word skielik skelm donker, Die plastiektafels is taai en die glase bly leeg, Bywoningsgetalle vir ontbyt is maar min – Danette Kotze
It is way past Valentine but still worth reading …… Valentine, oh Valentine, You’re my Crime-Stop, my Tracker, you’re my AZT, The list is endless and this isn’t all,
Springbok Smit called up for Super 14 duty Stormers coach set to dim bright spark Bolla Springbok Sevens seeded third for Hong Kong Bok coach not worried about lack of tries
-Where can you watch rugby on TV?-
Click here to find out where in most countries!
As a South African orientated web site we are constantly looking to contact more and more South Africans across the world.
Not only to tell them about how they can make their own Biltong but also to give them a chance to share their stories with other South Africans the world over.So, here is your chance to help us. If you know about a South African family or friend living near you or perhaps somewhere far away, why not tell them about us and then us about them. If the response we receive is large enough and, directly due to your efforts people place orders with us, you could be rewarded by receiving one of our products totally free of charge. What an easy way to perhaps get your own Home Biltong Maker without having to pay a cent for it! You can mail us at info@biltongmakers.com During the last month many people went to the trouble once again of submitting their friend’s and family’s names and we would like to thank all!
Now that we are already well into the new year it would be nice to get some contributions for the newsletter from all our readers. Many people are subscribed to our newsletter and many more are joining every day. Mostly they do so because they enjoy reading it and like to hear from people in other parts of the world. They would love to hear from you too!! Why not put pen to paper (or fingers to the keyboard!), and tell us about anything interesting. About life in your part of the world, what you do and how you live. Perhaps something that happened to you. Perhaps you have some advice to give? Of course it does not have to be about Biltong or food. Anything that is of interest is welcome! Share it with other people around the world!
This year we will be concentrating on our Country Boerewors. We will be making our first fresh batches early April. Please call us on +32(16)53-9625 or mail us at info@boerewors.be
The “Potjiekos” season will be starting again soon! We are hoping for April but definitely in May we will have our first “Potjie” of the season! This includes everything from the “Potjie” itself to the plates and eating utensils. For an extra € 2.00 we even make the Pap! For venues more than 50km from our home base in Keerbergen there is a small transport fee.
Booking is essential and you can do so on +32 (16) 53.96.25 or email us!
(Please note that our “Potjiekos” can only be done outside because we cook on gas or coals!)
Lamb on the Spit is a way of entertaining as only known by very few mainly because it is thought to be very expensive. Not so!
Together with the lamb we will treat you to a big pot of curried potatoes as well as a choice between a pasta salad or three-bean salad. Garlic or bread rolls are included as well. We have already received many bookings for the months of May and June. If you are planning a function or party with a lamb on the Spit in mind it is advisable to book early. Remember that we are doing these functions only during weekends.
Booking early is essential and you can do so on
+32(16) 53-9625 or email us. -May and June 2006 are almost booked out-(As with our “Potjiekos” a Lamb on the Spit can only be done outside because we cook on coals!)
You can click on the links below to view some of the previous issues of our newsletter.
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February 2006

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Keerbergen
Belgium February 7, 2006 ![]() On top of the hill I saw the remains of an old castle or fort and the town itself was built in amongst the hills with a little river running through it. It was one of the quaintest towns I had seen in a long time and, once back home, I immediately set out to find out more about this beautiful place. This is what I found out. Taking advantage of Roman decadence, the Francs invaded Belgium during the 5th Century. In the 8th Century, under occupation of the Francs, Pépin de Herstal turned the small fort into a hunting manor. The first castle was build in the 9th Century, and had its time of glory from the 12th till the 17th Century. In the 18th Century under the attack of the French, the castle became a fort. In World War II, the town suffered severe damage. Having been liberated by the Allies in September 1944, the town was recaptured by the Germans in December, during the Battle of the Bulge. The subsequent Allied bombing raids resulted in the town being liberated once more in January 1945, but left much of the town destroyed, and many residents dead. I do a lot of traveling and I find it so amazing to, time and time again, find myself in places like La Roche where there is so much history. *An Oppidum was Latin for the main settlement in any administrative area of the Roman Empire.
It is February already and we are (here in Belgium) on the last stretch of winter. Another two months and we will be able to switch off the central heating and start getting a bit warm again. With that of course comes the weekly gardening. Oh, how I miss Polite (my old gardener) at times! But, we’ll be able to sit outside again and enjoy a braai and those lovely long summer evenings. We are looking forward to that. In the meantime it is still winter and bitterly cold at the moment. Not as cold as it has been in Moscow lately though at -51°C! I heard that at such low temperature your breath will crystallize and tinkle to the ground. I was wondering if the whole town just “tinkles” along the whole day. Must be one heck of a racket! Here it has only been around -6°C at least, where we are. During the day it is still bearable at 0°C. No temperature June would say. It has been a nasty winter so far. I don’t mind the cold as long as there is nice snow and some sun! That’s enough about the weather. It does not help complaining. Just grin and bear it.
Please keep the mails coming. We have readers in all parts of the world so why not sit down and tell us about your life, wherever you may find yourself, as a South African in a foreign country or as a citizen of your country. We would all like to hear from you! That is it for this month. So, from me, take care and till the next time! Lo
Most things that end up being urgent didn’t start out that way. Most urgent matters, had they been addressed when they first came up, would not have to be rushed. Putting off a difficult task until later only makes it more difficult. To truly make your life easier, go ahead and take care of the hard stuff as early as you can. When you put off something that needs to be done, you don’t get rid of it. You merely make it more burdensome than it otherwise would have been. Each time you procrastinate you deny yourself the opportunity to get the work done calmly and carefully, at a comfortable pace. Instead, you push the work to a time and place where it must be hurried. That ends up creating needless anxiety and reducing your effectiveness. The far better choice is to go ahead and get it done before the need for urgency sets in. What could you take care of today that would prevent you from having to deal with an urgent matter later? Go ahead, get it done, and bring more peace and positive purpose to your life. Ralph Marston
My cousin Matthew and I used to sit next to each other in the first grade and often shared school supplies. One day I asked to borrow his eraser, and when he turned to hand it to me, he was holding his pencil in the same hand. The wound healed after a few days, but I was left with a visible half-centimeter-long piece of pencil lead in my hand. I’m sure my mother called the doctor to find out about the possibility of lead poisoning, but the doctor probably said not to worry because pencil lead isn’t really lead, it’s a nontoxic mixture of graphite and clay. The connection between graphite and lead stems from the days of the Roman Empire (and likely before that), when lead rods were used by scribes to write on papyrus. Both graphite and lead leave a gray mark on paper, although graphite is a bit darker. Graphite didn’t come into widespread use for writing until after the 1564 discovery of a very pure graphite deposit in Borrowdale, England. At the time, graphite was thought to be a type of lead and consequently was called black lead or plumbago.
Graphite from Borrowdale originally was used in chunks called marking stones. Because graphite is softer and more brittle than lead, it requires a holder when carved into pencil-shaped sticks for writing. At first, sticks of Borrowdale graphite were wrapped with string, and the string was slowly unwound as needed as the writing core wore down. Later on, graphite was inserted between two slats tied together or into wooden sticks that were hollowed out by hand to create the first wood-cased pencils. The Borrowdale deposit was pure enough to use without modification. But lower quality graphite needs help to keep it in a usable form. Various binders mixed with graphite powder have been tried, such as gum, resin, or glue. Sulfur also has been mixed with graphite, which results in writing cores most like pure graphite. In 1795, French chemist and Napoléon courtier Nicolas-Jacques Conté invented a process to mix graphite with clay and water, a process that is still used.
The dried sludge is ground into a powder, water is added again, and the mixture is blended to form a soft paste. Carbon black may be added to increase the darkness of the lead. The paste is extruded through a metal tube to form thin rods that are cut into pencil-length pieces–called leads–that are then dried. The leads are heated in an oven to 1,800°F (about 1,000°C) or higher to make them smooth and hard. The ratio of graphite to clay can be adjusted to vary the hardness of the lead: the more clay, the harder the lead; the harder the lead, the less graphite comes off onto the paper, making a lighter line. Pencils are made by cutting blocks of wood into slats that are machined to form a groove (two to nine per slat) to place the leads. A second slat is glued onto the first, sandwich fashion, then individual pencils are cut from the sandwich and sanded smooth. The pencils are next painted with five to eight coats of paint, and a recess is cut for the ferrule–the metal ring that holds the eraser. The ferrule and eraser are crimped into place, and a metal stamp is used to press a label onto the pencil. Various types of wood have been used to make pencils over the years. Red cedar from Kenya and the U.S. was an early favorite, but today nearly all pencils worldwide are made from incense cedar, a species that grows in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains. The first pencils were unlabeled and unpainted to show the fine grain of the wood used. But by the 1890s, manufacturers started stamping their names on pencils and painting them.
Many of the names stamped on pencils are manufacturer’s model names or company name, but these generally have historical significance. For example, the Ticonderoga, made by Dixon Ticonderoga Co., is named after the Revolutionary War fort in upstate New York, which is near one of the purest graphite deposits known, 99.9% pure carbon. Here are some pencil facts: Laid end-to-end, the number of pencils made annually in the U.S. would encircle Earth about 15 times. In 1858, erasers were attached to the ends of pencils for the first time; most pencils in the U.S. have erasers, but those in Europe do not. A pencil lead or a line drawn by a pencil will conduct electricity. Colored pencils are made from chalk, clay, or wax mixed with binders and pigments.
Way back, sometime in the last century, when Kel first started making what is now know as the “BILTONG BUDDY”, he did not realize how much joy his invention would bring to thousands of people around the world. Today people all over the world make their own Biltong in countries that you would seldom hear of in the daily news. Countries such as Greenland, Alaska, Peru and Tajikistan. Or, how about Biltong in Turkey, Japan, Singapore or Iceland? With the introduction of Rockey’s New Age Home Biltong Maker even more people became interested and very nice little home industries started to develop. All these people will tell you that making your own Biltong is as easy as 1-2-3 and that it costs but a fraction of what you would pay in a shop. That’s if you can get it in a shop. One of the most important factors is that you don’t have to rely on others to make your Biltong. You can make it just the way you like it!
Details on ROCKEY’S 5kg Home Biltong Maker can be found by clicking on this link. You can have a look at the BILTONG BUDDY here.
This month there will be a discount of 10% on all our Biltong and Boerewors spices for orders over R 250.00 Our Safari Biltong Spice will cost R 58.50 instead of R 65.00 And so on…………. This will be an ideal opportunity to stock up on all your spices for the year! Rockey’s New Age Home Biltong maker will still cost only R 795.00 instead of R 850.00 Click here to go to our on-line shop.
-Where can you watch rugby on TV?-
Click here to find out where in most countries! And another one for both Rugby and Cricket. Not so long ago I was at Champs Pub watching a game of live rugby. As I am a member of the Budapest Rugby Watching and Drinking Association ( Beer Director J ). I met up with some Okes that have been living in Budapest for some time now as well and they told me that there is a web site called www.kuduclub.com. Hoping this will help out a few of our S.A. Buddies all over the world. Tibor Bus Important notice!! It was brought to our notice that some people try to use a higher wattage and different shape globe than supplied with the Biltong Makers. They do this to try and decrease the drying time. Not only does this not work but it it also dangerous!
Let’s negotiate for crime-free days
By James ClarkeInspector Dlamini, you can forget it. Just because one South African police station has decided to install an alarm system linked to a security firm, it doesn’t mean we all have to. ![]() After all, we have razor wire, an electric fence, burglar bars, floodlights, buzzers and our faithful Maltese, Bonzo – all generously paid for by our loyal taxpayers. I will not stretch their generosity further. The station commander then crossed his heart and spat on the floor to underline his sincerity. Besides, if the security company comes around and finds somebody burgling our station, what is it going to do? It is going to call the police, isn’t it? And we are going to have to tell them we have no men to spare because we are out there chasing other people’s burglars. Our best bet is to leave nothing in the police station worth stealing – a scorched-earth policy. Yes, I realize certain elements will want to steal our files to compromise our investigations, so we’ll just have to carry our files with us wherever we go. Why don’t we have a sentry on duty in a fortified pillbox? Dlamini, you’ve seen how the deputy state president’s house had every fortification imaginable – plus our patrons, the ever-generous taxpayers – may God bless them (again crosses heart and spits) – supply her with 18 bodyguards and security staff.
Look at that member of parliament who is practically joined at the hip to his chief bodyguard, yet somebody still stole his briefcase with quite a lot of cash in it from a well-wisher. Dlamini, we live in a nation of thieves. In fact, it seems that only half the country is involved in honest labour. The other half steal from them. And yes, you are quite right, Inspector – the third half are employed by security firms. In fact, we have 130 000 people in the police force at present and we spend R20-billion a year – yet still criminals run rings round us. The most sensible thing to do is for us to call a truce and get together with the criminals and negotiate certain crime-free days when everybody can relax. Questions, Questions A reader wants to know why we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are dead? And why doesn’t Tarzan have a beard? And how is it that we put a man on the moon long before we found it to be a good idea to put wheels on luggage? Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground? And why, he asks, does someone believe you when you say there are 4-billion stars, but feel they must test it when you say the paint is wet? Noughts for Comfort In fact there aren’t 4-billion stars. The Milky Way galaxy alone contains 5-billion, each larger than our sun. And, in the same vein, according to an item in the International Express last month, mathematicians in Hawaii have recently calculated that there are 7 500 000 000 000 000 000 000 (seven sextillion five hundred quintillion) grains of sand on all the beaches in the world. So are there more stars in the sky than grains of sand on a beach? Australian astronomer Dr Simon Driver says “Yes”. “There are 70 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 stars in the visible universe – nearly 10 times the number of grains of sand on all the beaches.” I had always suspected this.
This recipe could easily be done as a Potjiekos as well The Stew Ingredients
Ingredients
When we first arrived in New Zealand
The land of the long white cloud.I arrived with my two teenaged children around 11.30pm in the night, so we didn’t get to see much on the trip from Sydney to Auckland across the Tasman Sea. We had no problems at the airport with customs; we just declared all our chocolates and bubblegum etc. It just took time to get out of the airport: we only got out at around 1.30am. Tired, but very excited we were very impressed with the sights at the airport complete with ethnic Maori carvings in wood, water running past soft wavy green ferns and bird calls echoing around us. It also takes a bit of adjusting to realize that while we are awake, South Africans are all sleeping, so there is no such thing as picking up the phone at midday to phone anyone! In New Zealand they have daylight saving, which I must say we are battling to adjust to – it throws your timing right out! Somewhat like when we landed here. I was getting hungry at 3am in the morning (which was in fact my old lunch time) and frying eggs and ham with toast and tea! It was so weird! Poor neighbours! Must have thought I was from the loony bin! I actually was for a time – ha, ha! Falling asleep, the kids didn’t even stir with the phone ringing right next to them, such a funny sight. Blankets all over the place, arms flung wide, feet sticking out at right angles to bodies, mouths gaping at the ceiling, eyelids positively glued shut – hair all askew….. a sight for my sore eyes! And mine sure were! When my husband, Peter phoned me from Gisborne on the extreme East coast of the North Island and said hi, I knew he sounded familiar but just couldn’t place him, until he told me who he was: “this is Peter”. My exhausted mind went blank – still working out why it was so dark when I had had lunch and why at 10am I was so exhausted! I hope I am not like that again when I go back for a visit. I had heard of jetlag, but never anticipated that I would experience it in such an extreme form. The first stop was Longbay, North of Auckland, where Peter had booked us in, which was very pretty. The next day at the beach, the sea greeted us with lapping waves like a dam (not like the wild seas of the South African coasts) and I found it amazing to see the shells through the clear water so far out and the sound of the water on the beach like a ‘fizzy woosh’ sound – really nice. The one spot along the beach we passed through was called “Grannies Bay”! Some very odd names they have here! Most in the Maori language, much like Africa, now. Driving the hired car was an experience I shouldn’t have tried in my exhausted state, as I was just not familiar with the roads and just got us lost repeatedly! Peter came up to Auckland and we then embarked on the long car journey to Gisborne, along windy narrow roads that led us through hundreds of small sheep and cattle farms, through a gorge of innumerable twists and turns next to a 30 meter drop to a winding river. I actually got dizzy from so many ‘S’ bends. We have found people we have spoken to in New Zealand to be totally ignorant about violence as we know it, – they just can’t imagine what we South Africans are on about when we begin to recount the hijackings and attacks, especially that people are being killed just for a cell phone. They have grown up with such peaceful, quiet and orderly lives with an abundance of everything, especially food at very affordable prices. So far they have just given us a blank vague look, so we invariably give up trying and just chat about those things to fellow South Africans. That’s when you realise that there is a big difference in our cultures. The schools are a bit different in that although they have a uniform it is worn in a rather ‘relaxed’ way (well, especially in Gisborne). Shirt hanging out and they wear sandals (strops), long shorts, white shirt hanging in and out, in the two hot months of the year. And very varied hair styles. The Maori people seem to be of a very large type of build on the whole; tall, very well build people – some of those that my son met love to have fights anywhere about anything! The schools have the most wonderful choice of subjects I have ever seen: photography, learning how to drive, design, how to start your own business, art and painting, the usual academic subjects like English, maths, Japanese and Spanish languages, science, technical drawing and design, accountancy, geography – all in all about 44 subjects to choose from. The kids had to get used to new phrases: for example Kiwi’s say ‘sweet’ where we would say ‘good’. They also say groovy, and yip instead of yes. (Or our usual ‘Ja!’). As well as ‘cheers’ for thanks and ‘trundlers’ instead of trolleys at the supermarkets, sneakers instead of ‘takkies’ and ‘utes’ instead of ‘bakkies’! It was wonderful to find out that at the age of just 14 you can get a job and earn money over here, but on a more frightening note you can get a learners licence to drive a car at just 15 years old so it still takes me aback to see these young kids driving around. I think a lot of the New Zealanders over in Gisborne look like Prince Charles’ descendants long removed – very British looking. Then they get crossed with the Maori who look like Chinese crossed with red Indians, some very like the red Indians crossed with Vikings! And to top that juicy description many are covered with tattoos and earrings with long bushy wavy dark hair or dreadlocks! I wonder what we look like to them?! Actually made me get some history books out of the library and check up on the history of New Zealand! Something interesting when we moved into the first house was what was left for us to use. There were curtains on all the windows, everything was washed, there were plugs in all the drains, pegs on the washing line (there was even a washing line) dishwashing liquid in the kitchen cupboard, a type of Handy Andy in the bathroom, toilet spray in the toilet, kettle in the kitchen, potato masher and peeler and a few other kitchen utensils, even a shower curtain in the shower. It felt like the previous people had forgotten their stuff. But when she came back to collect her mail she said that was the house stuff. She looked at me like I was a little odd, not knowing that sort of thing! We were amazed! However, we are also still amazed at how small the houses are. We have since moved to Auckland and have found a few wonderful South African shops to buy ourselves some familiar treats and are beginning to adapt to the small Island that we have now made our home. Regards Sharon
It made me even more homesick than I already am! I am a South African, working in Germany for the past 5 years, enjoying the challenge, but Oh my goodness!!! This is just not South Africa. But it is a beautiful country and over Christmas it was indeed a Winter Wonderland scene. I have met with other South Africans near Frankfurt and it is always a pleasure to get together and just be ourselves. Even the occasional lang-arm-dans puts a bigger smile on our faces. I would love to receive the newsletter in future and keep up the good work. With warm regards Antoinette Meinhardt
Our feelings on being back in ‘the old country?’ With best wishes to you and yours for a safe, happy and peaceful 2006. Wendy
The original Computer
A keyboard was a piano
A hard drive was a long trip on the road
A mouse pad was where a mouse lived And if you had a 3 inch floppy . . .. . . you just hoped nobody ever found out!!!
The following was sent in to us by Dave from the UK.
It is obvious that he is not a happy chappie! ![]()
I’m fit, not fat, says Smith Mbeki unhappy with dismal Bafana showing Bacher brokers Van Rooyen deal
As a South African orientated web site we are constantly looking to contact more and more South Africans across the world.
Not only to tell them about how they can make their own Biltong but also to give them a chance to share their stories with other South Africans the world over.So, here is your chance to help us. If you know about a South African family or friend living near you or perhaps somewhere far away, why not tell them about us and then us about them. If the response we receive is large enough and, directly due to your efforts people place orders with us, you could be rewarded by receiving one of our products totally free of charge. What an easy way to perhaps get your own Home Biltong Maker without having to pay a cent for it! You can mail us at info@biltongmakers.com During the last month many people went to the trouble once again of submitting their friend’s and family’s names and we would like to thank all!
Now that we are already well into the new year it would be nice to get some contributions for the newsletter from all our readers. Many people are subscribed to our newsletter and many more are joining every day. Mostly they do so because they enjoy reading it and like to hear from people in other parts of the world. They would love to hear from you too!! Why not put pen to paper (or fingers to the keyboard!), and tell us about anything interesting. About life in your part of the world, what you do and how you live. Perhaps something that happened to you. Perhaps you have some advice to give? Of course it does not have to be about Biltong or food. Anything that is of interest is welcome! Share it with other people around the world!
It is winter in our part of the world now and no-one will be going outside for a braai anymore (except the die-hards) We will be making our last batches for the year shortly and suggest that you place your orders for the winter timely to avoid disappointment. You can contact us on +32 (16) 53.96.25 or mail us at Boerewors-Benelux. The price is € 7.50 per kg
The Potjiekos season is over for this year. No more nice sunny days to stand around the Potjie, beer in hand just enjoying yourself. We make our “Potjie” in our size 25 Pot (see left) The Chicken “Potjie” is the most popular because it is a really inexpensive way to entertain. To book please give us a call on +32 (16) 53.96.25
(Please note that our “Potjiekos” can only be done outside because we cook on gas or coals!)
As with the Potjiekos our Lamb-on-the-Spit is also something of the past this year (unless you want one in the snow!). Lamb on the spit is a way of entertaining as only known by very few mainly because it is thought to be very expensive.
Together with the lamb we will treat you to a big pot of curried potatoes as well as a choice between a pasta salad or three-bean salad.
Booking early is essential and you can do so on
+32 (16) 53.96.25 -May and June 2006 are almost booked out-(As with our “Potjiekos” a Lamb on the Spit can only be done outside because we cook on coals!)
You can click on the links below to view some of the previous issues of our newsletter.
Yes, please subscribe me to your monthly Newsletter! Unsubscribe me please. |
January 2006

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You are receiving this newsletter because you have previously placed an order with Biltongmakers or made an enquiry about Biltong, Boerewors or Potjie Pots or someone has submitted your name to us thinking that you might be interested.
If you do not wish to receive this newsletter you may unsubscribe at the bottom where you will find an automatic email link. Just click on that and send. Your name will then be permanently deleted from our database.If you, your family or your friends want to subscribe to the newsletter please click on this link. Yes, please subscribe me to your monthly Newsletter!
What did you drag across the world?
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Keerbergen
Belgium January 7, 2006It was a winter wonderland again last week.I just came home from a trip to Holland. The skies were dark, unusually so for 3 o’clock in the afternoon. During high winter in January it only gets dark around 4 o’clock. There were a couple of things on the shopping list so I decided to quickly go out and get them.
Now I must be honest, I love that type of weather, everything turned white in an instant and the car’s wipers had a hard job keeping the snow from the windscreen. The traffic was crawling along and at my first stop the shop’s staff was already out spreading salt all over the parking area. Coming out of the shop after a couple of minutes the cars were covered with a 5cm thick layer of snow. I crawled back home and it was like being inside one of these pictures you see on postcards. The street lights shone dimly on the snow-covered roads and everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. It is so picturesque this time of year!
A new year is upon us and we wish all our friends and customers all over the world a very healthy, prosperous and, most of all, peaceful 2006. How time flies. It seems just like yesterday that we were sitting in a Japanese restaurant on the Schelde (river) in Antwerp celebrating the new century.
And so we are entering the New Year. Still recovering from too much food and drink and totally overweight. I must do something about it this winter because I don’t feel like looking and feeling like a big whale when the summer comes and we go on holiday! The last time I looked ridiculous in the swimming pool. I am sure that every time I got in the water level jumped by a couple of centimeters. I don’t even have to swim, my body fat will keep me afloat! But then I keep promising myself every year that I will do something about it and very little happens usually. Sound familiar?
The first change will be the appointment of agents in those areas where most of our customers are to be found. We hope to start off with the UK and Australia. The main reason for this is to bring down the shipping costs for our products. As all of you who have a Home Biltong Maker will most certainly know, the cost of shipping is quite high. At the same time, with stock in the major areas, the shipping time can be drastically reduced. The second change is that we are stopping the monthly competition. Our competitions have run for the better part of four years now and it is time for a change. We are working on some very exciting ideas at the moment! Well, that is it for this month. In order to carry on with the monthly newsletter we are going to need some help from you, our readers. Any input whether big or small, will be welcome. You might have read an interesting article or found a nice recipe or you might even be brave enough to write something yourself. So, from me, take care and till next month! Lo
New Year’s Recipe
Take twelve, fine, full-grown months,
see that these are thoroughly free from all old memories of bitterness, hate and jealousy; cleanse them completely from every clinging spite: pick off all specks of pettiness and littleness; in short , see that these months are freed from all the past; have them as fresh and clean as when they first came from the great storehouse of time.Cut these months into thirty or thirty-one equal parts. This batch will keep for just one year. Do not attempt to make up the whole batch at one time (so many persons spoil the entire lot in this way), but prepare one day at a time, as follows:Into each day put twelve parts of faith, eleven of patience, ten of courage, nine of work (some people omit this ingredient and so spoil the flavor of the rest), eight of hope, seven of fidelity, six of liberality, five of kindness, four of rest (leaving this out is like leaving the oil out of the salad, don’t do it), three of prayer, two of meditation, and one well selected resolution. If you have no conscientious scruples, put in about a teaspoonful of good spirits, a dash of fun, a pinch of folly, a sprinkling of play, and a heaping cupful of good humor. Pour in love and mix with happiness. Cook thoroughly in a fervent heat; garnish with a few smiles and a sprig of joy;
then serve with quietness, unselfishness, and cheerfulness, and
a Happy New Year is certain.
So, there I was sitting in The Hague at Tony’s and Catherine’s house on Boxing day when it dawned on me that I actually had no clue what Boxing Day was all about! Where does the name come from and how did it start? Does everybody celebrate Boxing Day? I know that in Belgium this day is like any other and is a normal working day. So, I did a little research and this is what I found: Boxing Day Despite the lively images suggested by the name, it has nothing to do with pugilistic expositions between tanked-up family members who have dearly been looking forward to taking a round out of each other for the past year. Likewise, it does not gain its name from the overpowering need to rid the house of an excess of wrappings and mountains of now useless cardboard boxes the day after St. Nick arrived to turn a perfectly charming and orderly home into a maelstrom of discarded tissue paper. The name also has nothing to do with returning unwanted gifts to the stores they came from, hence its common association with hauling about boxes on the day after Christmas. The holiday’s roots can be traced to Britain, where Boxing Day is also known as St. Stephen’s Day. Reduced to the simplest essence, its origins are found in a long-ago practice of giving cash or durable goods to those of the lower classes. Gifts among equals were exchanged on or before Christmas Day, but beneficences to those less fortunate were bestowed the day after. And that’s about as much as anyone can definitively say about its origin because once you step beyond that point, it’s straight into the quagmire of debated claims and duelling folklorists. Which, by the way, is what we’re about to muddy our boots with. At various times, the following “origins” have been loudly asserted as the correct one:
More elaborate versions of this origin involve boxes kept on sailing ships: The title has been derived by some, from the box which was kept on board of every vessel that sailed upon a distant voyage, for the reception of donations to the priest — who, in return, was expected to offer masses for the safety of the expedition, to the particular saint having charge of the ship — and above all, of the box. The mass was at that time called Christmass, and the boxes kept to pay for it were, of course, called Christmass-boxes. Whichever theory one chooses to back, the one thread common to all is the theme of one-way provision to those not inhabiting the same social level. As mentioned previously, equals exchanged gifts on Christmas Day or before, but lessers (be they tradespeople, employees, servants, serfs, or the generic “poor”) received their “boxes” on the day after.
Since March last year we asked people to write in to us and tell us about something unusual that they had taken with them from South Africa when they moved overseas.
We did not get as many entries as we expected but some were really unusual. From a boat mast to a bowl of pebbles or flower petals to 20 fishing rods and a Bidizzo!We promised the person who sent us the most unusual entry one of our Rockey’s 5kg Home Biltong makers.The winning entry is not only because it is unusual but also because the person who sent it is, in our opinion the most determined and caring of all. Therefore the Home Biltong Maker will go to Gavin van Heusden from Durban in South Africa. Here is his story: After eight years of living in the UK it was time to return home to South Africa. Leaving as a bachelor in 1997 I was returning a married man and my wonderful wife was expecting at the time!! This is where the plant in my life (Henry) comes into the story. After deciding it was time we go back to our roots in South Africa the BIG MOVE got under way in November 2004. After everything was moved and all our suitcases for the last two weeks stay were packed and booted I was walking out the door for the final time with Henry in my arms. He was to be given to my cousin for safe keeping. This I believe was preoccupying me, and low and behold my jacket got caught on the door handle as I was walking through. I stumbled, found the lip of the step, slipped and launched into the air……trying to get my balance meant letting go! Watching the pot tumble through the air in slow motion was sickening but at the same time it felt like a fitting end for my plant. One smashed pot later, and a plant that had snapped at the root system and leaf system I was cleaning up the mess before the new owners moved in. I actually found a few leaves still joined together and thought I would drop them in some water and see what happens. Well, what did I expect, after a few days there were a few roots off the bottom of the leaves. On the day of leaving we wrapped him in wet cotton wool and stuffed him into my golf bag. Expectations of survival were highly based on past performance and as expected we now have Henry on our balcony looking healthier than ever before. I dragged a doomed plant, which I have known longer than my wife all the way across the world!! Congratulations Gavin. Your Biltong Maker will be on its way shortly!
To see all the entries and to meet other South Africans in your area just visit our GuestMap! Hi every one its been fun learning how to make biltong and hearing so much feed back thanks. Lived in the good old U.S.A for 8 years know, got the biltong maker, good stuff! This country is wonderful, but you still feel like going home sometimes, just to get the South African feeling. Hallo almal hier van onder af. Ons is nou al 9 jaar hier en geniet rugby, sonskyn, boerewors en biltong! Good OLD South Africa! Great website, great newsletter, by great people – keep it up! It’s just too good to be true. Finally my own homemade biltong Nice to read about SA things. Love making my own Biltong here in Japan. I don’t even want to share it with my wife!! Sunsets and biltong on the Med! What could be better! Almost like home! You people are the pits and are irritating us with your disgusting products. We have moved on and do not eat SA food any more thanks. Well okes, Ons is regte egte biltong, braai en potjie mense. Biltongmakers is tops! We live in Paradise, eat the food of the “Gods” have the lifestyle of the “rich and famous” make biltong eat boerewors and have created the opportunity for Aussies to sample real biltong, now I have a thief stealing it out of my kassie when I am away from home! Biltong is a drug….a lekker Seffrican drug. After 8 years I’m a bit of a”Rooinek” but still a”Jaapie” at heart and our “Ankle Biters” love to “Braai”. Life is great, when you are a boerseun, eating boerewors and biltong in Boedapest! Every time I get the newsletter, it costs me a fortune to go to the local butchery for biltong. Love your site and the newsletter. Very pleased that I purchased the biltongmaker and so are my friends!! Love our Biltong Maker. Still miss SA Biltong, it is the best!!! I LOVE this site – biltong is the food of the gods – it should be illegal to not have any in your freezer, cupboard, biltong maker….. Everyone should be born with a Home Biltong Maker!! It’s a little bit of home wherever you are! You can say goodbye to your friends and family but NEVER to biltong, boerewors and braaivleis. Everything local and lekker starts with “B”; Biltong, Beer, Boerewors and Biltongmakers.com! We love our Biltong Maker!!! It’s great reading and makes one feel part of a South African family, although we are, in Johnny Clegg’s words, “Scatterlings of Africa”
Details on ROCKEY’S 5kg Home Biltong Maker can be found by clicking on this link. You can have a look at the BILTONG BUDDY here.
Something special to start the New Year! Well, the festive season is no more but that does not mean that we cannot carry on with giving you the best value possible for all our products. Until the end of January the following products will be on special:
Make use of this opportunity because we expect a price increase from the factory early this year. Click here to go to our on-line shop.
Quite a lot of people have been asking us to convert cooking measures such as from American to European metric etc. (Happy Cooking! -Ed)
We have all had a problem with flies on our meat at some stage. A fly can lay thousands of eggs in an instant. These eggs will very quickly turn into maggots and then you can throw your meat away. Important notice!! It was brought to our notice that some people try to use a higher wattage and different shape globe than supplied with the Biltong Makers. They do this to try and decrease the drying time. Not only does this not work but it it also dangerous!
If we have not given an answer and you can help these people could you please mail them? (Please copy us in on your mails @ info@biltongmakers.com so we can help other people who might have the same questions in the future)
QUESTION Thanks for a splendid news letter. Best regards QUESTION Dear Biltongmakers, I have one of your units and LOVE making Biltong in Arizona (perfect “it’s a dry heat” ) for it. Regards, QUESTION Hi Lo, I think this is a great site, with all the recipes from good old South Africa. Susan Bubb
Nothing like the traditional sounds of South Africa
By James ClarkeOne of the attractions of Kruger National Park – that tranquil corner of South Africa where one can cruise along knowing that all who are there are there to enjoy what you enjoy – is that it brings out the best in us. Nobody is in a hurry.Strangers swop news on what they have seen and there’s the camaraderie of the camp at night, especially as families and friends gather in the cheerful glow of their braaivleis fires. But somebody recently complained of one particularly anomalous sound – the grating noise made by those heavy wood-and-steel Kruger Park chairs as they scrape on the well-polished stoep floors. Yet on a recent visit to the park I realised that if I were far away from home – say languishing in Australia trying to whip up some interest in kangaroos, or swatting mosquitoes in Canada where nothing has happened since 1759 – then the recollection of that very sound – the scraping of a Kruger Park chair – would fill me with nostalgia. I would be wretchedly homesick. I then contemplated producing a recording of characteristic South African sounds for sending to friends who have emigrated – ah, there are so many of them – to induce them to return. No commentary – just sounds. Perhaps, perhaps, with the occasional strains of kwela music in the background. In that record I would certainly include the raucous call of hadedas, who always sound as if they are scared of heights. I’d record the cheerful morning song of the black-eyed bulbul and, of course, the far-carrying cry of the fish eagle. Ah yes, and the distant roar of lions heard from Satara camp. I’d have the strident voices of Zulu women talking to each other across the width of a suburban street, and the rhythmic songs of strikers toyi-toying among impatient traffic. I would also include the sound of Johannesburg traffic, permeated by the deep drumming sound (which is all one hears, thank goodness) of the latest nightclub hit coming from out of a passing car, driven by somebody whose sound system is probably worth more than the car itself. I’d include a summer thunderstorm as it moves nearer and nearer, and then the sound of the first heavy drops of rain striking broad leaves, and the torrential rain that follows at 4.30pm and as it diminishes (at 4.52pm, op die kop). I would include the sizzle of meat on a braaivleis fire, the sharp hiss of a can of Castle being opened. But to ensure that the listener knows that a braaivleis is not just any old Aussie or American barbecue, I’d have the background sound of suburban hadedas going home to roost at sunset. I’d include the sound of crickets and the bushveld nightjar that we call the litany bird with its quavering call of “Good Lord deliver us!” The sound of a packed Ellis Park stadium singing Nkosi, sikelel’ i Afrika, followed by the roar as the match starts, and then Shosholoza. I’d have a snatch of SABC news read in a strong Sotho or Zulu accent, and the rumbling voice of a Ventersdorp boer pontificating about the Bokke. I’d have the high-pitched, highly accented voice of an East Rand woman complaining about Beauty pinching the sugar again. I’d have a Soweto choir and a few minutes of pounding Zulu drums and the foot stamping and the ululating. Have I missed anything out? Ah yes, and I’d end by repeating the scraping of Kruger Park chairs and then the characteristic squeak of the heavy-duty spring on the fly screen door as one enters one’s rondavel to retire for the night. I’d then let the sounds of the Lowveld night take over. That’d bring ’em home.
Often cooked together with tripe and known as “Pens en Pootjies”, this is a great Cape specialty. Serves: 4 Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 2 hours 15 minutes Ingredients
Note
The following we received from Shelagh Liebenberg in Sarasota, Florida My daughter Lesley lives in Anchorage, Alaska and loves it. Best wishes to all for a very happy New Year! Shelagh Liebenberg
Links to the sport pages Even early days will be tough for the Bulls A rugby year of blunders and burst bubbles Positives and negatives from the rugby season
The winner of the December Competition!
Jannie Theron from Cape Town. Congratulations Jannie. Your Biltong Maker has been shipped and will reach you shortly! Please let us know how the first batch of Biltong turned out? The correct answers for the competition questions for the month of December were:
Question 1: 26-20 to France – Question 2: PST Rigid Styrene – Question 3: Canberra The December Competition was the last one in the series. We have been running our competitions for almost four years now and will stop with them, for a while at least. We are busy looking at something different and very exciting so keep your eyes open and your ears to the ground!
As a South African orientated web site we are constantly looking to contact more and more South Africans across the world.
Not only to tell them about how they can make their own Biltong but also to give them a chance to share their stories with other South Africans the world over.So, here is your chance to help us.If you know about a South African family or friend living near you or perhaps somewhere far away, why not tell them about us and then us about them. Perhaps you can send us their email address so that we can mail them a copy of this newsletter. If they like it they can stay on the mailing list, if not they can just let us know and we will remove them from the list. If the response we receive is large enough and, directly due to your efforts people place orders with us, you could be rewarded by receiving one of our products totally free of charge. What an easy way to perhaps get your own Home Biltong Maker without having to pay a cent for it! You can mail us at info@biltongmakers.com During the last month many people went to the trouble once again of submitting their friend’s and family’s names and we would like to thank all!
Now that we have started new year it would be nice to get some contributions for the newsletter from all our readers. Many people are subscribed to our newsletter and many more are joining every day. Mostly they do so because they enjoy reading it and like to hear from people in other parts of the world. They would love to hear from you too!! Why not put pen to paper (or fingers to the keyboard!), and tell us about anything interesting. About life in your part of the world, what you do and how you live. Perhaps something that happened to you. Perhaps you have some advice to give? Of course it does not have to be about Biltong or food. Anything that is of interest is welcome! Share it with other people around the world!
It is winter in our part of the world now and no-one will be going outside for a braai anymore. But, that does not mean that you cannot have Boerewors rolls any longer! Boerie rolls are great for indoor parties and even as a meal! We will be making our last batches for the year shortly and suggest that you place your orders for the winter timely to avoid disappointment. You can contact us on +32 (16) 53.96.25 or mail us at Boerewors-Benelux. The price is € 7.50 per kg
The Potjiekos season is over for this year. No more nice sunny days to stand around the Potjie, beer in hand just enjoying yourself. We make our “Potjie” in our size 25 Pot (see left) The Chicken “Potjie” is the most popular because it is a really inexpensive way to entertain. To book please give us a call on +32 (16) 53.96.25
(Please note that our “Potjiekos” can only be done outside because we cook on gas or coals!)
As with the Potjiekos our Lamb-on-the-Spit is also something of the past this year (unless you want one in the snow!). Lamb on the spit is a way of entertaining as only known by very few mainly because it is thought to be very expensive.
Together with the lamb we will treat you to a big pot of curried potatoes as well as a choice between a pasta salad or three-bean salad.
Booking early is essential and you can do so on
+32 (16) 53.96.25 -May and June 2006 are almost booked out-(As with our “Potjiekos” a Lamb on the Spit can only be done outside because we cook on coals!)
Yes, please subscribe me to your monthly Newsletter! Unsubscribe me please. |
December 2005

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You are receiving this newsletter because you have previously placed an order with Biltongmakers or made an enquiry about Biltong, Boerewors or Potjie Pots or someone has submitted your name to us thinking that you might be interested.
If you do not wish to receive this newsletter you may unsubscribe at the bottom where you will find an automatic email link. Just click on that and send. Your name will then be permanently deleted from our database.If you, your family or your friends want to subscribe to the newsletter please click on this link. Yes, please subscribe me to your monthly Newsletter!
What did you drag across the world?
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Keerbergen
Belgium December 7, 2005 ![]() We are a little like them, especially over the festive season. The only difference is that we don’t take it away to be stored. We store it in the ever-increasing waistline, which just seems to grow and grow as we draw closer to Christmas and the end of the year! The little exercise I get at the moment does not help at all it seems. Just the other day I spent yet another day in the garden clearing away leaves and making it somehow a little presentable but the scale that night just did not want to cooperate! I have just finished with the Christmas lights outside. Always quite a job but certainly worth it! They’re in the bushes and up the trees and along the gutter in the front. I’m quite proud actually. Sadly our neighbours are too lazy to do anything of the sort. In other towns people have really put in an effort and some houses look quite spectacular! Driving around the little towns in Vlaanderen last night it was great to see all the trouble some people have gone to. I even saw a Father Christmas complete with reindeer on top of a roof, all done with rope lights! It gets dark around 4.30 in the afternoon now so that’s when our lights come on and we sit inside, nice and warm, and enjoy them! Christmas in Europe is so totally different from the Southern hemisphere. It is dark and cold outside and, with a bit of luck, you even have snow! But, everywhere you go it is warm and cozy with lots of candles and of course the Christmas tree! Going into town is incredible to say the least. Everywhere you go there is an air of festivity. There are decorations everywhere. In the streets, on the squares, along the buildings and in the trees. It is just one big light show. There are people everywhere either doing shopping or listening to one of the many little groups and choirs playing or singing Christmas carols. The bistros and cafes are chock and block with people enjoying a “pintje” or a glass of wine by a roaring fireplace. Many of them are open throughout the night and if you drive into town early in the morning you still find most places full to capacity. Funny enough there are no incidents of drunkenness or hooliganism. So much for 24 hour drinking in Europe! And so it is almost Christmas and yet another year has gone by. A year that promised a lot at the start and kept itself to its word by and large. We must just try to get away a little more next year. It’s always nice to look back on what you did during the year and to pick out the highlights. Our trip to northern France, Reims and Paris with Penny and Skye was one of those highlights. Paris is great any time of the year as long as you don’t end up with a mad taxi driver like we did on our way to the Moulin Rouge. Then there was our trip to the UK a couple of weeks ago But, with the ferry we had a nice break. It takes about 2 hours all-in-all and you have a chance to walk about, have a nice breakfast or lunch and browse through the shops on board and you can see the white cliffs of Dover! We’ll certainly do that again!
The children all sang songs and presented him with the presents they had been making especially for his birthday. One class even made a big pot of carrot soup for his horse! Above, on the right you can see a picture of him and if you want to read the story of Sinterklaas just click on the newsletter for December 2004. The worst news this year was when I heard that my best friend of 40 years, Kel Malherbe, had passed away suddenly on the 4th of November. Kel and I first met in May of 1966 and literally went through thick and thin together. It was Kel who originally developed the first Home Biltong Maker which he roughly based on an old cardboard box dryer he had from way back. The original 2kg Home Biltong Maker became what is now known as the Biltong Buddy and is used by thousands of people all over the world. And so I will leave you for this year. Sadly, although I totally agree with her, it somehow never works for me and I always end up doing exactly the opposite and suffer the consequences afterwards. So, to all our friends and customers all over the world, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and may the New Year bring you all the happiness and health and the fulfillment of all your dreams! Till next year, Take care, Lo
Sometimes the way to move ahead faster is to slow down. Sometimes the way to get more done is to stop trying so hard.
When you’re relentlessly pushing yourself, then the pushing becomes your focus and you can lose sight of your true objective. When you’re constantly busy being constantly busy, it can be easy to forget what you seek to accomplish.Hurrying through a task can burn you out and create mistakes that you’ll have to spend more time fixing. Keep in mind that sprinting is not a workable strategy for winning a marathon.Slowing down to a sustainable pace can actually make the results come faster. Remember that your goal is not simply to be busy, but to accomplish something of value with your efforts. Take a deep breath, calm your mind, and focus your thoughts on where you’re going. There is much power in moving thoughtfully and deliberately. Time and steady persistence will achieve much more than frantic, hurried turmoil. Go fast enough to get it done, yet slow enough to get it right. Ralph Marston
Henry Christmas has spent 50 years researching his surname. A team of scientists in Oxford is trying to prove whether families with the rare surname of “Christmas” all descend from a single male ancestor. They want to compare the DNA of men from different Christmas clans to see if they are linked by a common genetic heritage as well as by their surnames. This will be done by looking at similarities and differences in the male, or Y, chromosomes of volunteers. The work is part of wider research on the links between surnames and DNA. DNA analysis company Oxford Ancestors is currently appealing for volunteers to participate in the study and is being assisted in the effort by Henry Christmas, a former telecommunications engineer who has spent 50 years researching the origins and history of his own family name. Professor Bryan Sykes, who is leading the study at Oxford Ancestors, told the BBC News website: “There are several interesting questions such as was there one original ‘father’ Christmas or were there several different ones?” A bit of cheek His team will be taking cheek swabs from those volunteers selected by Mr Christmas in order to extract their DNA. Every male possesses a Y chromosome which can be inherited only from his father, so this package of genetic material represents a unique record of paternal inheritance. “If it’s a single family with one original founder, then most of them will have the same Y chromosome fingerprint. If there’s more than one, we’ll identify that,” said Bryan Sykes. “But generally this is the kind of name that, from experience, has one or very few founders.” The work forms a small part of a wider project being conducted by Professor Sykes on the genetic history of Britain. Surnames can be remarkably informative in reconstructing the genetic family tree of the British Isles, especially those of moderate frequency that can be tied closely to genealogical records. “Generally speaking, the rarer the name, the more likely it is to have one founder. Most surnames are moderate frequency,” he explained. “Many, even now, are clustered around the historical origin of the name. “This gives you a way of measuring how much spreading and mixing and movement there has been over the last 800 years – because many English surnames started then.” Norman origin Professor Sykes found about 70% of the men he studied with his own surname had near-identical Y chromosomes. The 70% were all descended from one man who lived in Yorkshire in the 13th Century. The Christmas family name is established widely through the home counties, but there are two significant geographical clusters; one in Essex and one in Sussex. “We will select volunteers from those two branches,” said Professor Sykes. “If you didn’t have that genealogical information, you wouldn’t have the first idea about those two branches or where they come from.” Some genealogy books state that the origin of the surname derives from “one born at Christmas”. But Henry Christmas believes this is “too easy”. “The original spelling was ‘Chrystmasse’, which perhaps indicates Norman origin. There were also Huguenots who came over [from France] with that name,” he told the BBC News website. Professor Sykes said the study should also be able to show how people with the Christmas surname were linked by their genes to other lineages. And it should connect the common male founder – if indeed there was one – with one of the major population groups that have settled in the British Isles over the ages. But the technique can also reveal signs of female infidelity, turning up errant Y chromosomes that do not fit in the overall genetic tree for a particular
Did we not want to take everything, thinking that if we got rid of something we might not be able to replace it wherever we went to?
Then, once on “the other side”, we either realized how lucky we were to have taken all those “special” things or how stupid it really was.I for one remember that is was very difficult to part with all the things we had gathered over so many years.But some of the things …….really!! I can just think of the SEVEN braais we took! There was our Cadac gas braai (with every conceivable attachment!), our Weber, spitbraai, large cast iron braai, another (smaller) Weber, our gas bottle with the large cast iron top……just to mention some! In this part of our newsletter we are inviting you to write in telling us what YOU took with you when you left. We will have a small Competition to see who writes in with the most unusual item that they dragged with them across the world! We will be running this competition until the end of the year so submit your entries as soon as possible. The person with the most unusual item (and we will want to see a picture of it!) will get one of Rockey’s 5kg Home Biltong Makers! So, here we go! This one is from Nico Botha in Australia From Lorraine and Derek Austin in Brisbane From Paddy Johnson in Australia From Kerry Booysen-Finch in Holland From Tanja Köhn in Dushanbe, Tajikistan From John and Mel Berry from Loxahatchee, Florida, USA From Jacki Martin in New Hampshire in the US of A I love the newsletter – thanks for the great stories!! From Gavin van Heusden in Durban, South Africa After deciding it was time we go back to our roots in South Africa the BIG MOVE got under way in November 2004. After everything was moved and all our suitcases for the last two weeks stay were packed and booted I was walking out the door for the final time with Henry in my arms. He was to be given to my cousin for safe keeping. This I believe was preoccupying me, and low and behold my jacket got caught on the door handle as I was walking through. I stumbled, found the lip of the step, slipped and launched into the air……trying to get my balance meant letting go! Watching the pot tumble through the air in slow motion was sickening but at the same time it felt like a fitting end for my plant. One smashed pot later, and a plant that had snapped at the root system and leaf system I was cleaning up the mess before the new owners moved in. I actually found a few leaves still joined together and thought I would drop them in some water and see what happens. Well, what did I expect, after a few days there were a few roots off the bottom of the leaves. On the day of leaving we wrapped him in wet cotton wool and stuffed him into my golf bag. Expectations of survival were highly based on past performance and as expected we now have Henry on our balcony looking healthier than ever before. I dragged a doomed plant, which I have known longer than my wife all the way across the world!! From Ansie and Tollie de Waal from Ireland Strange it is, but it means a lot to us! This is it! We cannot accept any more entries.
In January we will announce who we thought was the most original out of the above.
To see all the entries and to meet other South Africans in your area just visit our GuestMap! Hi to all the other South Africans home away from home. Been here for 7 years now and still enjoying….however I do miss the good old SA wors and biltong……….so maybe I need to get myself one of the Biltong Makers. Phillip Gervais The biltong maker is lekker…. and nice to see a few other SA faces… Jade E Moore (JEM) Great to see we all love our heritage still. Billy and Noeline Nagel This country is wonderful, but you still feel like going home sometimes, just to get the South African feeling. I miss the bushveld, Saturday braaivleis and friends Great website – I never knew making biltong was that easy. It’s edible everytime!
Details on ROCKEY’S 5kg Home Biltong Maker can be found by clicking on this link. You can have a look at the BILTONG BUDDY here.
Something special for Christmas and beyond! Well, it is almost Christmas and I suppose that most people will have either bought or ordered their presents by now. But, we will still tempt you with some final special prices for the year. Until the middle of January the following products will be on special:
Make use of this opportunity because we expect a price increase from the factory before the end of the year. Click here to go to our on-line shop.
Last month Rob Fowler from Midrand in South Africa had a question to which we received quite some feedback. The question was: All the best, wherever you may be. Here is some of the feedback we received Dear Rob, I was wondering what type of meat you use for the braai and frying? Although vacuum packing is an option, you have to keep fresh meat vacuumed for at least 20 days for optimal results and this must be kept a constant temperature of 0-3 degrees which most kitchen fridges are not! Here is a tip: Meat is normally at its best if it has been dry-hanged for at least 20-30 days. Yes it will have fungus on the outside of the meat but trim this off and the meat internally will be tender. Also make sure that the product that you buy is A2 – A3. This is the ideal fat and conformation to buy. The markings are normally in purple, and I don’t think he would have a problem showing you the carcasses he sells, if he does beware. Glen Norrie
Ask the butcher to cryvac it and leave for 3 weeks minimum. We leave ours for 6 weeks, but sometimes it has a slight bloody taste. Let it stand out of cryvac for a day and it will be as tender as fillet! Fred Ericsen-Miller
I had the same problem. Sean Williams
The following tip from Bruce Prescott in Johannesburg, was published last month as well. However, we received no feedback to it and wondered if anyone is really interested in pursuing this idea. We have published it again in the hope that there are some people out there who might have some thoughts on this. Bruce wrote: Just a suggestion – in your newsletter you have a section where you ask subscribers to list odd/strange items that they took with them when they emigrated from SA. With the benefit of hindsight, what should they have sold and what should they have bought before leaving SA? Let’s see if between all of us we can come up with a list (for different countries perhaps?) of tips what to take and what not to take? Please send your tips to the editor at the webmaster@biltongmakers.com.
As julle iemand daar raakloop wat Afrikaans wil leer, verwys hulle na www.afrikaans.us Important notice!! It was brought to our notice that some people try to use a higher wattage and different shape globe than supplied with the Biltong Makers. They do this to try and decrease the drying time. Not only does this not work but it it also dangerous!
If we have not given an answer and you can help these people could you please mail them? (Please copy us in on your mails @ info@biltongmakers.com so we can help other people who might have the same questions in the future)
QUESTION Hi my name is Colleen. I live in Kampala and have just started making biltong. I have also book marked your fabulous site! Thank you for a wonderful site. It has certainly helped me a lot. Colleen Kimmel QUESTION How do I know how to cut a whole carcass into the different cuts to make biltong from? Esmé van der Merwe QUESTION Hi Lo, Probably a silly question for you, can you tell me the difference between the coated and uncoated Potjie? Elaine Deysel ANSWER That is a good question to which I did not know the exact answer. I called our suppliers in Johannesburg and was told the following: There are three types of finishes to a Potjie. The first one is a normal rough cast iron pot that has not been treated at all but just painted black after manufacture.
When Charlie shuffled and 60c was a lot
By James ClarkeSome older readers may recall the Phoenix Restaurant in Bree Street, Johannesburg, when the city was a real city and people came to town in the evenings to see a film or eat out, or simply to window shop.One could stroll about and one was hardly ever murdered. The Phoenix, a very German restaurant, was across the road from the East Africa Pavilion. In the Pavilion the waiters wore red fezzes and white, floor-length robes and in the corner sat a punkah wallah – a man who pulled a string that caused a huge rectangular screen hanging from the ceiling (a punkah) to move back and forth creating a cooling draught. The waiter at the Phoenix was named Charlie and he looked and shuffled about just like Manuel, the waiter from Barcelona in Fawlty Towers. Charlie always had his thumb in the soup. It was expected of him. You took your friends there just to show them Charlie. When we journalists were feeling flush in the 1960s we’d hotfoot it to the Phoenix and have an eisbein and chips washed down with a Hansa draught beer from “South West Africa”. Charlie appeared humourless but that was a false impression. I remember us ordering four coffees and Peter Hawthorne (who later joined Time) saying, “Charlie! Make sure my cup is clean, hey?” Later, Charlie shuffled back with the four cups of coffee and said, deadpan, “Now, which one of you wanted a clean cup?” The maitre d’ at the Phoenix was a young fellow named Gerhard Maritzen and the other day I found myself in a restaurant called The Berliner in Coachman’s Crossing, in Peter Place, Bryanston. And who should own it but Gerhard himself. He is now 64. And on the wall was a menu from the Phoenix in 1967. An eisbein with sauerkraut was 60c. It was the most expensive thing on the menu. A mixed grill cost 40c. The soup of the day was free and one wasn’t even charged for Charlie’s famous thumbprint. A dozen oysters cost R1,25. Crayfish was 60c, the same as sole meunière. These dishes were all way beyond our pockets of course because, as journalists, we had to take a vow of poverty. A plate of a dozen LM prawns was certainly beyond our pockets – at R1,30. For 45c you could order roast pork and apple sauce with vegetables; German pot roast and dumplings; braised ox tongue in Madeira sauce and a host of other dishes. Cheese with bread and butter was 15c – unless it was fancy cheese. Then it was 17c. A tankard of draught beer was 25c. A bottle of Chateau Libertas was 70c (32c in bottle stores). If you were seriously wealthy you could order a bottle of Zonnebloem Cabernet at R1,40. At Gerhard’s Berliner I ordered roast duck, potatoes and vegetables and a tankard of draught beer. I then had coffee and a port. When the bill came Gerhard charged me 1967 prices – 70c for the duck, 20c for the beer, and 13c for the port and 7c for the coffee – R1,10. We fell into conversation with Gulhan, the waiter at the Berliner, about “the good old days” and I recalled how, around 1968, I was cross with my wife because she had allowed the month’s grocery bill to hit R62. “How can you spend R62 in a month for groceries for a family of four?” I asked angrily. I think she replied, “Just watch me.” Gulhan said how nice it would be to go back to those times, so when my bill arrived for R1,10 I gave him R1,20 and told him he could keep the change.
Love, as the old song has it, is a many splendoured thing. So, we daresay, is the leg of lamb. It comes donning many garbs assuming dozens of alluring names. One of those names is Raan Raan is a leg of lamb marinated in a yoghurt-based spice mixture and originally roasted on the spit or over a wood fire. We will do ours in the oven. Ingredients 2.5 kg Leg of Lamb The sauce
Recommended with hot Naan and Aloo Gobhi (see the following recipe) Serves about 6 people
This dish of seasoned potatoes and cauliflower is one of the most popular accompaniments in Indian restaurants Ingredients
The following poem was received from Wayne Visser who wrote it. Wayne is also the author (with Guy Lundy) of the book “South Africa: Reasons to Believe”. I am an African… I am an African When Africa weeps for her children I am an African When the music of Africa beats in the wind I am an African You can visit Wayne’s site here
Dear Sir/Madam,I acknowledge receipt of your letter dated September, 12 in which for the third time you request that I pay the monies owed to you. I first want you to know that by no means do I dispute my debt and I intend to reimburse you as soon as possible. However, I bring to your attention that I have many more creditors, quite as honourable as you, and whom I wish to reimburse too. That is why, each month, I throw all the names of my creditors into a hat and draw one randomly whom I hasten to refund immediately. I hope that yours will come out shortly. Sincerely yours, PS: I have great regret in informing you that given the unceremonious tone of your last letter, you will not be taking part in the next three draws. Chicken at a Chinese restaurant A couple go for a meal at a Chinese restaurant and order the “Chicken Surprise”. The waiter brings the meal, served in a lidded cast iron pot. Self Analysis It doesn’t hurt to take a hard look at yourself from time to time, and this should help get you started… During a visit to the Mental Asylum, a visitor asked the Director what the criterion was which defined whether or not a patient should be institutionalized.
The curse of the big away games White gives 2005 Boks 70% pass mark SA to target Australia’s top order Smith will give Aussies no quarter
-Where can you watch rugby on TV?-
Click here to find out where in most countries!
The winner of the November Competition!
Jenine Sjoblom from Winnipeg, Manitoba in Canada. Jenine found out via the new competition page that she was the winner before we even had a chance to mail her with the good news! Congratulations Jenine! You certainly submitted enough entries! Your camera is on its way and we would appreciate it if you would send us some pictures taken with it!
Dear BILTONG TEAM, Wow…..I’m blown away. This is the first time I have ever won anything. I’m looking forward to receiving my MP3 Player. Many thanks,
The prize for the December Competition Click here to see a picture of it on the competition page! To enter the competition all you have to do is to visit our home page at www.biltongmakers.com and click on one of the two competition links. Some of the other prizes for the year
As a South African orientated web site we are constantly looking to contact more and more South Africans across the world.
Not only to tell them about how they can make their own Biltong but also to give them a chance to share their stories with other South Africans the world over.So, here is your chance to help us.If you know about a South African family or friend living near you or perhaps somewhere far away, why not tell them about us and then us about them. Perhaps you can send us their email address so that we can mail them a copy of this newsletter. If they like it they can stay on the mailing list, if not they can just let us know and we will remove them from the list. If the response we receive is large enough and, directly due to your efforts people place orders with us, you could be rewarded by receiving one of our products totally free of charge. What an easy way to perhaps get your own Home Biltong Maker without having to pay a cent for it! You can mail us at info@biltongmakers.com During the last month many people went to the trouble once again of submitting their friend’s and family’s names and we would like to thank all!
It is almost Christmas again and it would be nice to get some contributions for the December newsletter from all our readers. Many people are subscribing to this newsletter every day. Mostly they do so because they enjoy reading it and like to hear from people in other parts of the world. They would love to hear from you too!! Why not put pen to paper (or fingers to the keyboard!), and tell us about anything interesting. About life in your part of the world, what you do and how you live. Perhaps something that happened to you. Perhaps you have some advice to give? Of course it does not have to be about Biltong or food. Anything that is of interest is welcome! Share it with other people around the world!
It is autumn in our part of the world and not many people will be going outside for a braai anymore. But, that does not mean that you cannot have Boerewors rolls any longer! We will be making our last batches for the year shortly and suggest that you place your orders for the winter timely to avoid disappointment. You can contact us on +32 (16) 53.96.25 or mail us at Boerewors-Benelux. The price is € 7.50 per kg
The Potjiekos season is over for this year. No more nice sunny days to stand around the Potjie, beer in hand just enjoying yourself. We make our “Potjie” in our size 25 Pot (see left) The Chicken “Potjie” is the most popular because it is a really inexpensive way to entertain. To book please give us a call on +32 (16) 53.96.25
(Please note that our “Potjiekos” can only be done outside because we cook on gas or coals!)
As with the Potjiekos our Lamb-on-the-Spit is also somthing of the past this year (unless you want one in the snow!). Lamb on the spit is a way of entertaining as only known by very few mainly because it is thought to be very expensive.
Together with the lamb we will treat you to a big pot of curried potatoes as well as a choice between a pasta salad or three-bean salad.
Booking early is essential and you can do so on
+32 (16) 53.96.25 -May and June 2006 are almost booked out-(As with our “Potjiekos” a Lamb on the Spit can only be done outside because we cook on coals!)
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