10 | FOOD & WINE
4 December 2019
Die Biltong Ou en sy Ma Writer & Photographer Hedda Mittner
T
his biltong business can be traced back all the way to 1963 when we first started making biltong on the farm,” says Mariaan Beyleveldt, the widow of past Overstrand Mayor Theo Beyleveldt and now the proud co-owner, with their son Jaco, of the biltong shop at the Village Square called ‘Die Biltong Ou’. Mariaan grew up on a farm in the Free State, where her father farmed with sheep and cattle near the small town of Verkeerdevlei. She was the only girl, with four brothers, the youngest of whom later took over the family farm. Interestingly, it turns out that Mariaan’s late husband was not the only mayor in her life – her grandfather was the mayor of Verkeerdevlei for many years and also owned the Algemene Handelaar (general dealership) in the town. “We grew up on boerekos and that’s the way I still cook today,” says Mariaan. “Every winter we slaughtered a cow and I learnt to make biltong and droëwors (dried sausage) when I was still a child.” She met Theo while still in school and later pursued a career in nursing while he became a professional soldier. They were married in 1972 and over the years lived at several military bases while raising their three children – Bloemfontein, Pretoria, Zeerust, Lohatla and even Madrid, Spain (where
Jaco was born) – until Theo retired as brigadier-general after 34 years of distinguished service and they relocated to Durbanville in 1999. Here Jaco, who had just finished matric in Lohatla the previous year, completed a diploma course in restaurant management at the Durbanville College, before joining the army. After a few years he realised this was not his true calling and he left the army to study farm management at Boland College. He gained valuable experience by working for leading companies in the agricultural sector such as Freshmark, procuring fresh fruit and vegetables for the Shoprite Group, and the BKB Agricultural Co-operative. When Jaco’s father died in 2011, he decided to move closer to Hermanus, where his parents had been living since 2003. “We always wanted to live in the Cape,” says Mariaan, “but Durbanville was still too far from the sea. We started driving up and down the west and south coast and when we visited Hermanus, we both agreed that it was the best place for us. Shortly after we moved here, Theo became involved in politics as a ward councillor and when the DA achieved an outright majority in the 2006 local government election, he became the Mayor.” As for Jaco, he ended up working at a protea farm near Stanford for a while, before devoting all his energy
Christmas on the Lagoon Christmas Market at MOSAIC Saturday December 7, 2019, 11:30am-5:00pm (Gallery will be at MOSAIC through mid-January) Location: 1892 Spookhuis at MOSAIC Wortelgat Road, on the Hermanus Lagoon, Stanford
Join us for a family day! Country platters and grilled skewers will be served at Lagoon Cafe’ Wine from Springfontein Wine Estate - Belgium Beer on tap - DIY gin station. Accommodation at MOSAIC Cottages Beautiful selection of art, gifts and décor Tracy Algar Art - Handbags by UGLEE - Inkomo Nguni hide rugs - Ardmore Jewelry by Beryl Dingemans - Old book collections - Christmas décor Contact: Simone 082 817 2077 or 028 313 2814 admin@MosaicSouthAfrica.com www.MosaicSouthAfrica.com
to organising professional hunting tours. In his spare time, he made biltong and droëwors – according to his grandparents’ recipe, of course – and started supplying restaurants and other hospitality venues. From 2015, he ran a biltong stall on Market Square with his mom, where he made quite a name for himself as die biltong ou (the biltong guy) – hence the name of their new shop, which they opened earlier this year. Located in the alley that connects Main Road to the Village Square, Die Biltong Ou stocks an extensive collection of biltong and dried sausage that Jaco cures and dries himself – mainly beef but also venison, such as kudu and blouwildebeest – and other curiosities such as Cabanossis, Billie chips and Soutstokke. Mariaan bakes all the shop’s cookies (with the quaint name, Die Biltong Ou se Ma se Koekies) such as Goggakoekies, Pepperment Tjoko’s and Strawberry Rocky Roads. On the blackboard you’ll find the day’s specials, home-made by Mariaan, which make for a tasty take-away lunch. Die Biltong Ou also supplies his products, including bacon and boerewors, to restaurants and retailers. Orders can be placed by contacting 083 686 1157 or biltong@overberghunting.co.za. You can also visit their website at diebiltongou.co.za or their Facebook page.
Jaco Beyleveldt, (aka die biltong ou) with shop assistant Kim Bishop and his mom, Mariaan Beyleveldt, in their shop where they sell 100% local biltong with an authentic, South African flavour.
The word Biltong is derived from the Dutch words ‘bil’ (meat or rump) and ‘tong’ (strip), so essentially Biltong means strip of beef. Dried meat has been around for centuries and its history can be traced back to different cultures around the world. What we know today as ‘biltong’ was first created by the indigenous people of Southern Africa over 400 years ago. When the European settlers arrived, they introduced a more sophisticated curing process that involved vinegar and spices such as pepper and coriander. These were available in abundance as the French Huguenots produced wine and vinegar from their grape crops and the then Cape Colony was the halfway stop for seafarers plying the spice routes of the East. Biltong came to play an important part in the migration of the pioneering Dutch settlers (Voortrekkers) during their trek north, and later during the Anglo-Boer War. Since then, it has become an integral part of South African culture, with various family recipes handed down for generations.
