Bunny Chow is a South African fast food consisting of a hollowed-out loaf of bread filled with curry, originating in Durban. It is believed to have been created for golf caddies with limited lunch breaks. Durban’s large Indian population brought their spicy cuisine, making curry and bunny chow a signature dish. There is etiquette involved in ordering and eating bunny chow, and sambals and chutney can be added as accompaniments.
Bunny Chow is a South African fast food that originated in the city of Durban on the coast of KwaZulu Natal but is now found all over the country. It consists of a loaf of white bread hollowed out and filled with curry and usually eaten only with the hands. The curry used varies from vegetable to meat and from mild to very hot, depending on the vendor. Durban is known for hot curries.
While the exact origin of the bunny chow is not known, it is believed that the caddies at the Royal Durban Golf Club did not have a long enough lunch break to sit down and have a meal. Instead they would put their curry in a half loaf of bread which allowed for easy transport in the days before take out containers and cutlery. The collected bread, referred to as “virgin”, is initially used to dry the curry and then, when the level drops, the pieces of crust are stripped from the loaf and used as a utensil.
Durban has a large Indian population, the largest living outside India. They are descended from migrant workers from colonial India who settled in KwaZulu Natal in the late 1800s and early part of the 20th century. With them they brought their spicy and tasty Indian cuisine, the foundation of which is curry. Curry and its derivative, bunny chow, have since become one of Durban’s signature dishes.
There is, as with any traditional dish, a certain etiquette involved in both ordering and eating rabbit. Locals refer to the bunny just like bunnies, leaving it out. When ordering, they are usually ordered using a simple shortening, such as “half a lamb,” which refers to half a loaf filled with lamb. A ‘funny bunny’ refers to one that is made from the middle section of the loaf and these need to be handled with care as the curry is not held in at the end.
Even the “virgin”, or bread from the inside, is subject to etiquette – it is considered very poor behavior to eat someone else’s without prior permission. Curry in bunny chow is usually made to be saucy, allowing the juices to seep into the bread. Some vendors add sambal to their bunny chow, even though this was not originally done. Sambals are accompaniments such as tomato sauce, cucumber, coconut, banana or peanut. Chutney can also be added.
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