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Hi,
I notice there seems to be a translation mistake from Afrikaans to english regarding the word spek in the boerewors recipies . In Afrikaans the word spek means fat, bacon on the other hand is called ontbytspek or gerookete spek if it is smoked bacon. Spekwors is normally a wors with little cubes of back fat in it. The back fat having a higher melting point than the belly fat will still be visible when the wors is cooked . Hope this helps to clear up the confusion .
Regards,
Zulu.

Thanks for the explanation I thought he was a Vulcan. LOL

Interesting, that the Afrikaans for fat is spek. I have been reading and hearing of the German Schenkenspek (ham-bacon) for years, but had never appreciated what the etymology of the word was. From other parts of the web, spek is bacon, including other Plattdeutsch dialects and, apparently, High German.

I was unable to get to the root, except that the Indoeuropean languages all seem to include, ultimately, the meaning "back," as in to the rear. Perhaps the Afrikanns refers to what we call back fat, and, by extension a fatty peice of meat such as bacon.

I think what zulu is saying is that Spek in Afrikaans is specifically pork back fat - not just the generic word for fat which is 'vet'. So if you see 'spek' in a south african recipe, they probably mean pork back fat.

It is interesting to see just why it would mean both. The O.E.D. has entries for speck and the Old English spic. It seems that both words encompass the meanings of bacon, fat, grease, and lard. Much depends on where one is located.

The O.E.D. entry for fat (vat, fet, vet, etc.) and all of its Germanic congeners is similarly interesting. I would reproduce the material here, but it is copyrighted and I'm not certain as to the legality of copying it verbatim.

Thanks for your input, it stimulated me to look further. Now, if I could just find out if boerewors = bauerwurst. I have always assumed that it does mean 'farmer's sausage," but lack enough references to make the connection for certain.

Hi,
This is one reply I got when I asked if he was using spek or becon ," Hi
the bacon was like we eat with eggs. "
I have also seen them talk of pork belly as bacon on some sites . so there are some rather confusing terms used on this side that side and the other side of the ponds . Did a check on the bauerwurs on Len's and some other sites looks like something different only place you smoke wors is on the coals. Substituting fat with bacon in a banger recipe would be a completely different if not interesting sausage.javascript:emoticon(':mrgreen:')
Mr. Green

Hi folks (Volks)
Please do not get confused over the word "bauer" the literal translation refers to 'Builder' but can be equally used to refer to many 'artisan' trades, for example: Die Dichte und bauer ( a wonderfull masterpiece of music by Rossini I believe) which translates into English as: 'The poet and peasant' overture! 'Bauer' in this instance, refers to a 'peasant'!
SPECK (German) is in fact, a very thinly sliced salted bacon, sold by the ton (Tonne) in Germany and has no reference at all to 'FAT'
The German word for 'Fat' is indeed 'FETT' or 'Fettisch' (Fatty)
Hope this helps.
Grant