Boerewors is a type of sausage popular in South Africa. Boerewors is an Afrikaans word meaning farmers sausage (boere means "farmers" and wors means "sausage").

Boerewors was probably created by the South African Boers about two hundred years ago. It combined minced meat and cubed spek (pork or beef fat) with spices and preservatives (mainly vinegar) which were freely available from what was the Cape Colony at the time. During their trek through the hinterland, they made large quantities of sausage during their outspan (stopover) and that which could not be eaten would be hung to dry and taken along for sustenance as they continued their explorations.

There are many different varieties of boerewors today, many of which are distinctly flavoured with coriander. Boerewors may be fried, but is usually braaied (see braai).

See also

South African cuisine, South African English, droë wors