Bunny chow, often referred to as a Bunny[1] is a South African fast food dish consisting of a hollowed out loaf of bread filled with curry, that originated in the Durban Indian community. Bunny chow is also called a kota ("quarter") in many parts of South Africa.
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The bunny chow was created in Durban, home to a large community of people of Indian origin. The precise origins of the food are disputed, although its creation has been dated to the 1940s.
One story (which also provides an etymology for bunny chow) has it that a restaurant run by people known as Banias (an Indian caste) first created the scooped-out bread and curry dish, in Grey Street, Durban. The food was a means to serve take-aways to excluded people. During the apartheid regime, Indians were not allowed in certain shops and cafes and so the shop owners found a way of serving the people through back windows, etc. This was an easy and effective way to serve the workers. They cut out the centre portion of the bread and filled it with curry and capped the filling with the portion that was cut out.
An alternative story of the bunny chow's origins (which similarly provides an etymology) is that, as in India, merchants who traditionally sold their wares under the 'bania' tree (also known as the banyan, or Ficus bengalensis) were called 'bania'. The use of this name is known in India going back to antiquity. It is more likely that the name 'bania chow' was adopted to describe the staple meal of Indian merchants than taken from a restaurant run by Banias, although the true origins remain somewhat disputed.
Stories of the origin of bunny chow date as far back as the migrant Indian workers arrival in South Africa. One account suggests that Indian migrant workers from India were brought to South Africa to work the sugar cane plantations of Kwazulu-Natal (Port Natal) required a way of carrying their lunches to the field; the hollowed out loaf of bread was a convenient way to transport their vegetarian curries. Meat based fillings came later. The use of a loaf of bread can also be ascribed to the lack of the traditional roti bread, in the absence of which a loaf of bread would be acceptable as an accompaniment to curry.
Bunny chows are popular amongst Indians, as well as other ethnic groups in the Durban area. Bunny chows are commonly filled with curries made using traditional recipes from Durban: mutton or lamb, chicken, bean and chips with curry gravy are popular fillings now, although the original bunny chow was vegetarian. Bunny chows are often served with a side portion of grated carrot, chilli and onion salad, commonly known as sambals. A key characteristic of a bunny chow is created when gravy from the curry fillings soak into the walls of the bread, thereby rounding the dish off with the fusion of flavours & textures. Sharing a single bunny chow is not uncommon.
Bunny chows come in quarter, half and full loaves. When ordering a bunny chow in Durban, the local slang dictates that you need only ask for a "quarter mutton" (or flavour and size of your choice). Bunny chows are mainly eaten using the fingers; it is unusual to see locals use of utensils when eating this dish. Bunny chow is presented to customers wrapped in yesterday's newspapers.
Today bunny chows are available in many small take-aways and Indian restaurants throughout South Africa. The price ranges from R6 for a quarter beans or dhal, to R30 for a quarter chicken bunny up to R50 for a whole bunny, depending on the filling.
Each year, the Bunny Chow Barometer is held in September on the south bank of the Mgeni River, just above Blue Lagoon (a popular Sunday picnic spot), attracting numerous entrants from across the Durban Metro region to compete for the title of top bunny maker.
A Durban, South Africa based website containing information and reviews on bunny chows