Old Afrikan Kukri

Thanks, or if you still decide to go on the light-bulb route, get at least one with mirror inside, it concentrates heat better, these are used in food industry to keep food warm, quite effective; but better, I'd go with an infrared one, 250W is a beast :D (the ones they use on the farm for small chicks, piglets etc. to keep them warm).
 
argh! NOT a kyoo-kree. it's a khoo-khoo-ree or khook-ree

$2 indian tourist as noted.

biltong:

good stuff. found a local online co. that makes it from beef, you can have it soft(wet) or hard(dry) (or extra dry - really hard) pre cut for you & vacuum packed in plastic bags. tried a bit of both, nice, expensive tho. had a local gourmet shop that had some big haunches of game biltong you could have chunks cut from, very expensive. they went bust. have made jerky in a dehydrator from chopped meat. that turned out quite good. ate way too much of it. ;)
 
Thomas Linton said:
There has been regular trade between India and East Africa for many centuries, and a number of Indians have migrated to Africa as well. No surprise to find Indian merchandise in markets there. Even a Khukuri (coo-co-ree).
Click to expand...

My very first Khukuri was a gift from my father over 40 years ago and he told me it was from Africa.
I'm pretty sure that is where it came from. It must have been another fine blade who traveled from India to Africa.
 
Karda said:
I think you can up that 99.9999%, Thomas. :D
Click to expand...

So there is a chance it was made in Africa?:D

Scara said:
I was curious about that, so I asked a friend who lived in South Africa for two years and he'd seen them. He didn't know what they were called, but he'd seen them. Come to think of it, I've got another friend who's first generation American born to South Africans, with many traditions preserved. I should ask him too. I've also asked him to fix me up with some bilton. Not much of a jerky fan, but that stuff sounds good.
Click to expand...

Like most British Empire colonies South Africa has a long history with all things British. South Africa also has the largest Indian community in the world outside of India, in Durban, the city I was born in.

South African soldiers fought as part of the British Army/Navy/Airforce in both world wars so it should therefore come as no surprise that many British cultural icons can be found in SA.

About 15 years ago there was someone importing Khukri House knives into SA. I purchased a number of them and gifted them to various friends who all loved them. I still keep a M43 next to my bed.

Dirtbiker said:
If you have ever had real South African bilton you know you need a kukri to cut it. It's really really hard.
Click to expand...

Biltong can be made from many different meats and consistencies. For example Beef Biltong which is still "wet" is almost soft enough to pull apart. Super dry Ostrich Biltong is about the hardest stuff you will ever eat and it is best cut with a Biltong "Chopper"

This is what "wet" beef Biltong looks like, easily cut with any pocket knife.........

biltong8_zpsovb0x4dp.jpg



A Biltong "Chopper" made by one of our local knife makers Ian de Lange


 
Fascinating! Interesting chopper and beautiful cutting board. Thank you for sharing.
 
Thats a gorgeous setup there! Thanks for the info! That Bilton looks great. Just how i like my steak too! Almost raw:p Guess thats completely raw though?
 
Wow, that is one nice looking chopper. Thanks for the info Steven65. That looks exactly like some stuff I ate while in the coal mining regions not too far from eGoli as my friends called it or Jo'burg as some of my other friends from the "Free State" call it. I personally found some really good other not very good, And really the only way to tell for me is to taste it. I couldn't tell by smell or look. It seems funny that some of the best AND worst tasting looked and smelled almost exactly the same LOL. BUT big difference in taste.
 
Shavru said:
Wow, that is one nice looking chopper. Thanks for the info Steven65. That looks exactly like some stuff I ate while in the coal mining regions not too far from eGoli as my friends called it or Jo'burg as some of my other friends from the "Free State" call it. I personally found some really good other not very good, And really the only way to tell for me is to taste it. I couldn't tell by smell or look. It seems funny that some of the best AND worst tasting looked and smelled almost exactly the same LOL. BUT big difference in taste.
Click to expand...

Cool. Which town were you in?

Yeah the stuff can be a bit of a crap shoot some time (no pun intended:D).
Bear in mind most of us have been eating it since we were nippers so we have a taste for it. If you are not used to it, it can be a little vile.

I am very fussy where I buy my Biltong from, bad stuff can make you sick. I like wet beef the best but I also like a local desiccated sausage called Droewors which is also something of an acquired taste.

Droewors is often made from a mixture of meats which often include game, pork and beef.
 
Steven65 said:
Cool. Which town were you in?

Yeah the stuff can be a bit of a crap shoot some time (no pun intended:D).
Bear in mind most of us have been eating it since we were nippers so we have a taste for it. If you are not used to it, it can be a little vile.

I am very fussy where I buy my Biltong from, bad stuff can make you sick. I like wet beef the best but I also like a local desiccated sausage called Droewors which is also something of an acquired taste.

Droewors is often made from a mixture of meats which often include game, pork and beef.
Click to expand...
Mmmmm! Can you recommend a place online so we might be able to pick up some authentic good stuff? That Droewors sounds great:p I like blue cheese, stilton, and all that funky tasting stuff. Bilton sounds right up my alley. We get a lot of Jerky in Texas but is mostly smoked. Its hit and miss also depends on the meat quality.
 
ndoghouse said:
Mmmmm! Can you recommend a place online so we might be able to pick up some authentic good stuff? That Droewors sounds great:p I like blue cheese, stilton, and all that funky tasting stuff. Bilton sounds right up my alley. We get a lot of Jerky in Texas but is mostly smoked. Its hit and miss also depends on the meat quality.
Click to expand...

You would have to find someone in the US who makes Biltong and Droewors. Alas I have no idea where to look.

I always enjoy Beef Jerky but Biltong does have a very different flavour.
 
ndoghouse said:
Mmmmm! Can you recommend a place online so we might be able to pick up some authentic good stuff? That Droewors sounds great:p I like blue cheese, stilton, and all that funky tasting stuff. Bilton sounds right up my alley. We get a lot of Jerky in Texas but is mostly smoked. Its hit and miss also depends on the meat quality.
Click to expand...

I know a family that makes biltong on a regular basis, but there not local to you, and I still haven't even made arrangements to get some myself yet.
 
Steven65, I was mostly south of Jo'burg in Vanderbijlpark doing some computer work with one of the companies there and also wandered out through Sharpeville. For a place with such prominence in history there really isn't anything there to see. But I enjoyed my time there and tried to see and do as much as I could. However, One of my favorite books is about Sir Winston Churchill as a young man during the Second Boer War or Tweede Vryheidsoorlog. So while there I headed up north and attempted to follow some of the path he covered during his escape from the prisoner of war camp in Pretoria. Interesting country and I enjoyed my stay immensely, good food (mostly) and great friendly people.
 
Shavru said:
Steven65, I was mostly south of Jo'burg in Vanderbijlpark doing some computer work with one of the companies there and also wandered out through Sharpeville. For a place with such prominence in history there really isn't anything there to see. But I enjoyed my time there and tried to see and do as much as I could. However, One of my favorite books is about Sir Winston Churchill as a young man during the Second Boer War or Tweede Vryheidsoorlog. So while there I headed up north and attempted to follow some of the path he covered during his escape from the prisoner of war camp in Pretoria. Interesting country and I enjoyed my stay immensely, good food (mostly) and great friendly people.
Click to expand...

Well you saw the less attractive part of SA. If you ever make it back you must come down to Cape Town for a visit. Be sure and get in touch with me.

Have you ever read 'Commando' by Deneys Reitz? Without doubt the best book ever written about the Boer War and required reading at many Military Colleges. If you have not it is worth getting.

Cheers

Steven
 
Yes, the area I was in was definately umm "industrial city" is probably the politest term for it :D But still very interesting, I thought it kind of strange to my mind to see some of the big manufacturing and processing buildings that seemed to be right in the middle of pastures of grass. And the newer housing tracts to me looked JUST like the massive retirement tract ones in Arizona US with the tile roofs ect.

My time traveling for work is definately at an end. I no longer work for the US Department of Defense so any traveling these days is dramatically curtailed which is good for me. And while I enjoyed myself in SA very much, I doubt I shall find myself in that area again. But if circumstances change I shall be sure to touch base, particularly during the planning stage. I bet you could point me towards some extremely interesting experiences that I would never be able to identify on my own :D

A friend of mine has the Deneys trilogy, which I believe includes "Commando" in it. I shall have to borrow it. I did a bit of research based on your recommendation and he sounds like a fascinating gentleman. Sort of SA's counterpart to Winston C., a lot of similarities between them from the short blurbs I was able to find about him. I think I shall enjoy that read very much. Thank you!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top