“I Love This Embassy”: Japan Ambassador Impresses Mzansi After Doing Tricky Biltong Taste Test

• Japanese Ambassador Shimizu set himself a bold challenge, attempting to identify three different types of South African biltong by taste alone
• The ambassador went up against beef, impala, and ostrich biltong in a playful outdoor taste test filmed at his residence
• South Africans online loved his effort, with many rushing to suggest what SA food he should try next

Japan's ambassador to South Africa gave locals a reason to smile on 24 August 2026. In a short video posted to Instagram, Ambassador Shimizu sat down at an outdoor table with three small plates of biltong in front of him and challenged himself to identify each one by taste.

The rules were simple. He had no idea which plate held which variety, and had to work out whether each piece was beef, impala, or ostrich using only his palate.

Ambassador Shimizu's biltong verdict

He started with what he described as soft and mildly flavoured, guessing it was ostrich. Moving to the second plate, he reasoned that the small, dry pieces must be impala, drawing an amusing connection between the size of the animal and the size of the biltong cuts. By the time he reached the third plate, he had run out of options and committed to beef.

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When the results were revealed, he had guessed all three correctly. His reaction was calm and curious, immediately asking what he should try next.

View the Instagram video below:

Mzansi cheers the Ambassador on

South Africans on the page were quick to celebrate the video and throw out suggestions for his next food adventure:

@curiouscazz wrote:

"Bunny chow! Pap n vleis! OR 7 colours! Ja! Any one of those would be great! I'm going to buy matcha to make the circle bigger!"

@iko_travel said:

"These videos are the best 😂😂"

@lizisanchored simply suggested:

"Braaibroodjies"

@soulsparkadventures noted:

"I could see from the colour already, which was beef and ostrich. Next try a lamb sosatie roll!"

@kuchikival summed up how many felt:

"I love this embassy 🇯🇵 🇿🇦 Their effort to show us their culture and enjoy ours is appreciated!"

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Source: Briefly News