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Why is the bombil also known as Bombay duck? One explanation is that during British occupation, the dried fish stank up the dak — or mail train — that carried it. The fragrant dish gained a cult following in England… until it was temporarily banned by European authorities over hygiene concerns.

Here is a throwback to British diners reacting to the ban on their beloved bombil. #tbt
Transcript
00:00It's like a delicacy. It's unique. It might smell like the gentry rhinos or whatever,
00:20but that's part of the fun of it, I suppose. I don't know. It's a lovely dish.
00:31How many eggs are there? Will it count?
00:53So many of our regulars just ask for it all the time.
00:56People crave. They say, get me a little from home, just get me a teeny weeny bit.
01:00I say, I can't do it because my wife won't allow me to in the first place.
01:03It's got an element in it that makes people crave for it, which is why in England,
01:08outside of India perhaps, it became the biggest consumer of Bombay duck.
01:26I think a lot of the European things are rubbish anyway. They're overrated and too strict,
01:33but I've never had a problem with it. I used to eat it. It used to smell a lot.
01:38It wasn't socially acceptable, but the taste is fine and I don't see why it should be banned.
01:44It's banned for no apparent reason. They don't even know why they're banned.
01:48They don't even know the product they've banned. That's the problem with it.
01:52It's there. Down the hatch.
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