Biltong, the cured and dried meat product that originated in Southern Africa, is one of the most popular uses for our commercial dehydrators. Africa. Traditionally, biltong was air dried in the hot African sun, but for a more consistent product for commercial sale, the use of a dehydrator is the safest choice. The word biltong is Afrikaans and is derived from the Dutch words 'bil' (meaning buttock) and 'tong' (literally meaning tongue, but also used to mean strip). Biltong today is usually taken to mean long strips of spiced and dried meat.