What are Droëwors?
If you've discovered biltong, allow us to introduce its equally legendary cousin: Droëwors (pronounced droo-uh-vors). In Afrikaans, droë means dry and wors means sausage: so quite literally, dried sausage. But like most things in South African food culture, there's a lot more to the story than the name.
Droëwors are a traditional South African dried beef sausage with roots stretching back to the Great Trek of the 19th century. The migrating Dutch settlers needed food that could survive long journeys across the continent with no refrigeration, no resupply, and no room for anything heavy. Curing and drying their sausages proved to be the answer, and droëwors, with their thin shape and long shelf life, were born.
Over time, droëwors evolved from a survival staple into one of South Africa's most beloved snacks, now found in butcher shops, farm stalls, sports grounds, and at every braai worth attending. Droëwors are born from the same culture that gave the world biltong, and it holds just as proud a place in it.
Droëwors vs. Boerewors
To understand droëwors, you have to understand boerewors. Boerewors (Afrikaans for farmer's sausage) are South Africa's iconic fresh sausage, seasoned generously with coriander, black pepper, cloves, and vinegar.
Droëwors were born from the same Dutch roots as boerewors, but made to last. Where boerewors are thick, mixed with pork fat, and must be refrigerated and cooked to be enjoyed, droëwors are made without pork, formed into thin sticks, and air-dried until firm and shelf-stable. No fridge, no fire, just the flavor of the braai, ready whenever you are.
How are Droëwors Made?
Droëwors start with lean cuts of beef, finely ground and seasoned with a blend of toasted coriander, pepper, cloves, salt, and vinegar. The seasoned meat is then stuffed into natural sheep casings, which help the sausage dry quickly and evenly. From there, the sticks are hung in a warm, well-ventilated space with proper airflow and low humidity, left to air-dry slowly over several days until they reach the perfect firmness.
There's a simple test to tell when they're ready to eat. Bend a droëwors stick and it should give a clean, satisfying snap. Firm on the outside, tender on the inside, and packed with rich flavor all the way through, these aren't your average beef stick.
Walk into any US grocery store and you'll find shelves full of beef sticks. What you won't find in most of them is a clean ingredient list. Nitrates, preservatives, added sugar, artificial flavorings... the list never ends.
Droëwors have been made without any of those things for centuries. And like biltong, what they lack in additives they more than make up for in nutrition. Packed with protein, all nine essential amino acids, and loaded with zinc, iron, B12, B6, and selenium — and because they're air-dried rather than cooked, nearly all of those vitamins, minerals, and nutrients are preserved as they should be.
High in protein, no added sugar, no preservatives, and genuinely satisfying, droëwors were the original beef stick long before the gas station version was ever a thing.