Post-Surf Meals

Does surfing have its equivalent of cycling‘s coffee culture? Or Wimbledon’s strawberries and cream? The bunny chow is a strong contender, says Andy Davis, recalling some of his favourite post-surf meals

- Andy Davis

Is there such a thing as “surf food”? Sure, surfers like to eat. And spending time circling around in the sea on a wedge of fibreglass is a good way to work up an appetite. But is there a culinary version of Billabong that’s easily identifiable as “surf food”? (I’m not going to call it “gastrosurf”, a term that conjures thoughts of what might happen to your stomach if you surf the A-frame in the Umgeni River mouth the morning after a heavy downpour. Not an appetising thought.)

Surfing – as a concept – appears to lend itself to nourishing and delicious food. But hunger is the finest seasoning, and surfers are, well, salty, so the bar is set quite low. Depending on the time of day and how epic the session was, the most common post-surf beverage is either a coffee or, most likely, a beer. A few beers actually. Does beer qualify as a meal? Maybe in terms of calories, but not in the pages of TASTE.