Making boerewors is a science, here’s why

Could you tell the difference between wors and boerewors? And did you know that a very distinct mix of herbs goes into boerewors and that it can only be considered as such if it uses a specific ratio of meats? 

It seems as though making boerewors is quite a science and no one understands this more than the company behind the biggest boerewors-making competition in the country, Shoprite. 

Speaking at the 30th annual Shoprite Checkers Championship Boerewors competition, Deputy General Marketing Manager Janine van Aswegen explained this science, highlighting exactly why the company takes it so seriously. 

Boerewors is actually a very specific type of meat that has to be made up of 90% meat content – beef, as well as some lamb or pork – and it must have less than 30% total fat content. Wors, on the other hand, is permitted to be slightly fattier. 

Boerewors also cannot contain offal and must have no mechanically deboned meat. 

When it comes to what additives are allowed, van Aswegen said that this is such serious business that it is even gazetted by government. 

It can only contain a mix of coriander, cloves, nutmeg and black pepper along with vinegar, water, Worchestershire sauce, cereal and starch.

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So, you see, winning the Shoprite Checkers Championship Boerewors competition is no mean feat as contestants have to take great care to not only ensure that their entries are tasty but that they fall within the government-regulated bounds of what makes boerewors. 

Luckily, all the knowledge amassed from competing in the annual competition does not go to waste as the company allows previous entrants and winners to enter as often as they would like to. 

“As long as the recipes are original, people can enter again. Like any chef comes up with new dishes and ideas, so too can a boerewors maker come up with a new recipe.”

“They can’t enter the same recipe that they won with and that is strictly adhered to,” explained van Aswegen.  

One person who took advantage of this opportunity was Delano Jasper who won the competition back in 2020. He returned to face off against thousands of entrants who were eventually whittled down to just 10. 

The 10 anxiously sat by as judges James Khoza, Carmen Niehaus, Martin Kobald, Zanele Van Zyl and Zola Nene spent this past Saturday tasting away at their entries to crown a winner.

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To celebrate the competition’s Pearl anniversary, organisers crowned a top three, whereas in previous years, only one person would have walked away with the grand prize of a Toyota Fortuner in addition to having their sausage sold at Shoprite and Checkers stores across South Africa. 

Jasper came in third taking home a R20 000 cash prize, followed by Chris Roodt who took home a R30 000 cash prize. 

The day’s winner and owner of a brand new Toyota Fortuner was a 23-year-old man named Welcome Magoso from Umlazi in KwaZulu-Natal.

Although Magoso had stated that he was confident about his entry prior to winning, he still struggled to find the words to mark the occasion of his win. 

Speaking to The Citizen shortly after being crowned this year’s winner, the Shoprite meat technician stated that his prize “would change everything for his family”.

His was an emotional win, moving those in attendance based on the thought of what his R650 000 prize would mean for him and his family.

Magoso’s winning boerewors will be available in Shoprite and Checkers stores from 9 September onwards, just in time for Heritage Day. 

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