Durban - Friday was International Hamburger Day ‒ a day to celebrate the king of fast foods.
With many establishments making it burger weekend, actor, MC and farmer Mpilo “Straw” Nzimande, live entertainer Simthandile Mtolo and saxophonist, DJ and producer Tim Lewis took advantage, and tackled the gobstopping burgers at beachfront eatery Surf Riders Café.
The humble burger has come a long way from a simple beef patty sandwiched into a fresh bun. Today it takes in pork, chicken, lamb, vegetarian or vegan options with toppings from the traditional to the fanciful.
While Mtolo insisted she was a cheeseburger gal, Nzimande said he’d “take one for the team” and sank his teeth into a veg burger stuffed with mushrooms, artichokes, and avo, topped with chilli sauce. Lewis relished a burger with Camembert and cranberry jam, piled high with onion rings.
Lockdown has been tough for all three artists, with Nzimande, who got the nickname Straw as a joke because of his skinny build, saying he had done more voice over and TV work, but he was at present behind the Hope4Hilton campaign to save the Hilton Arts festival, at which he forged his reputation. He is also looking forward to performing on tour with the Shakespeare Company, taking Hamlet, Othello and Macbeth to schools, and has set up a project farming butternuts on a 10ha plot outside Mooi River.
Lewis has still managed to maintain gigs in uMhlanga and has worked with Durban Youth Radio. He will play the sax as part of the horn section with the Durban City Orchestra at the Friends of Music concert at the Jewish club next Sunday at 3pm.
Mtolo has set up the Busker’s Collective, which will see musicians performing at the Denis Hurley Centre today from 10am to 1pm.
“We’re finding ways to sustain ourselves,” she said. “We’re using public spaces to bring our art to people, and use the foot traffic outside to support us.”
The Guinness World Record for the biggest hamburger stands at 1 164kg and was set in Germany on July 9, 2017. It consisted of three meat patties, tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, onions, hamburger sauce and a bun. Korean-born American Sonya Thomas holds the world record for eating a Big Daddy Cheeseburger weighing 4kg in 27 minutes.
The Independent on Saturday