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Biltong is a firm South African family favourite consisting of dried, cured meat. It is preserved using sodium nitrite or potassium nitrate – also known as saltpetre as well as other flavourants such as pepper, coriander and spices such as cloves. Biltong’s origins can be traced back to the Khoisan people, as well as the European settlers of the 17^th century. Each had their own way of preserving meat pre-refrigeration technology. The preservation methods included slicing the meat, salting it and hanging it up to dry, as well as using vinegar as part of the curing process. The use of saltpetre, as well as vinegar in the curing of […]

The practice of poaching is abhorrently prevalent across the world and across animal species and has been successful in endangering, if not obliterating entire species. South Africa’s national reserves have become home to poachers on the hunt for popular and pricey illegal exports: namely rhino horns, elephant tusks, big cat body parts and bones as well as pangolin scales. Although South Africa’s poaching is largely associated with the rapidly diminishing rhino population as well as elephants, it is actually the pangolin that is the most poached animal not just locally but in the world. Pangolins are small, scaly nocturnal mammals that subsist on a diet of ants and termites. […]

Wasabi, also known officially as wasabia japonica, Japanese horseradish, or more traditionally ワサビ, is a plant that shares common traits with horseradish, cabbage and mustard, as they come from the same plant family, namely the Brassicaceae family. Wasabi has its origin in Japan and usually grows alongside rocky, water-rich areas such as mountain river valleys as well as streams. Wasabi has long been a part of traditional Japanese cuisine and is particularly associated with sushi and sashimi. In its most common form, wasabi is consumed as a paste that can be utilised in the food process such as sushi rolling, or as an accompaniment on the side. It is known principally […]

Crunching, slurping, chewing, coughing, chomping, gulping and even breathing loudly are just some of a plethora of onomatopoeia that can trigger a feeling of anger and intense annoyance at the source of the maddening sound. These sounds can be enough to make your blood boil, but you can take comfort in the fact that you are far from alone in these sentiments. However, what it does mean though is that you are one of many people who suffer from a disorder and “genuine brain abnormality” termed misophonia; but, what does this mean? Misophonia is a disorder that results in a hatred of sounds such as repetitive clicking, coughing and breathing, and was […]

Jupiter is one of the most renowned planets in our solar system, often attributed to the fact that it is also the largest one in the solar system. It is the fifth planet from the sun, and although it is only one-thousandth the size of the sun, it is almost two and a half times bigger than all the other planets in the solar system combined and is therefore classified as a giant planet. To put things into perspective size-wise, it would take eleven Earths to fit across Jupiter’s equator (NASA). In 1979, it was discovered that Jupiter has a faint ring system around it, which means that all […]

It is a generally acknowledged fact that in order for humans to successfully procreate, two different genetic contributors are required to ensure the inheritability of certain genomic traits. These necessary genetic contributions from two ‘parents’ or contributors can occur in multiple; ways both natural or through ‘assisted reproductive technology’ (ART) which includes In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF). IVF is the process whereby the female’s egg is extracted, along with a sperm sample from the male contributor. The harvesting of the eggs – a minor surgical procedure, occurs post hormone treatments in which the female’s egg production is stimulated to encourage the production of as many […]