Bunny chow facts for kids
A "quarter mutton" bunny with topping
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| Type | Curry, sandwich, bread bowl |
|---|---|
| Course | Lunch, dinner, snack |
| Place of origin | South Africa |
| Region or state | Durban |
| Created by | Indian South Africans |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Bread, curry |
Bunny chow, or just bunny, is a popular South African fast food dish. It's made from a hollowed-out loaf of white bread (or sometimes brown bread) filled with delicious curry and often some salad. This unique meal first came from Indian South Africans living in Durban.
You can find different versions of the bunny chow across South Africa. A smaller size, using only a quarter loaf of bread, might be called a scambane, kota (which means "quarter"), or shibobo in different places. This name is also shared with sphatlho, another South African dish that developed from the bunny chow.
Contents
The Story of Bunny Chow
Bunny chow was first created in Durban, South Africa. This city is home to many people of Indian South African background. No one is completely sure about the exact start of this dish, but it's believed to have begun in the 1940s. It was even sold in places like Gwelo, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), during World War II. You can still find it in the nearby town of Kadoma today.
Stories about bunny chow's origins go back to when Indian workers first arrived in South Africa. One idea is that Indian laborers came to work on the sugar cane farms in KwaZulu-Natal. They needed an easy way to carry their lunch to the fields. A hollowed-out loaf of bread was perfect for carrying their vegetarian curries. Later, people started adding meat curries too. Using a cheap loaf of white bread was also practical because traditional roti bread was not always available or strong enough for a takeaway meal.
Why Is It Called "Bunny Chow"?
There are a few ideas about where the name "bunny chow" came from. One story says that a South African restaurant run by Banias (an Indian group) first made the dish. This restaurant, called Kapitan's, was in Durban.
Another idea is that Indian golf caddies needed a way to eat without using knives. During apartheid, they were not allowed to carry sharp cutlery in public. So, a handheld dish like bunny chow was a good solution. The word "chow" in South African English is simply slang for "food" or "to eat."
Originally, Indian meals were often roti and beans. But roti could fall apart easily when taken away. To fix this, the middle of a white bread loaf was scooped out and filled with curry. Then, the scooped-out bread piece was used as a lid. The vegetarian version of this meal is sometimes called a "beans bunny".
What's Inside a Bunny Chow?
Bunny chows are very popular among Indian people and other groups in the Durban area. They are usually filled with curries made using traditional Durban recipes. Popular fillings include mutton or lamb curry, chicken curry, trotters and beans curry, and plain beans curry. The very first bunny chows were vegetarian.
In other parts of the country, you might find different fillings. These can include chips with curry gravy, fried sausage, cheese, eggs, and polony.
Bunny chows are often served with a side salad. This salad usually has grated carrot, chilli, and onion. It's commonly known as sambals. This includes chopped tomatoes, onions, and green chilies, often served with white vinegar. Other sides might be Indian pickles, like mango, lime, lemon, or other seasonal vegetable pickles.
A really good bunny chow has gravy from the curry soaking into the bread walls. It's also common for people to share a single bunny chow.
How to Order and Eat a Bunny Chow
Bunny chows come in different sizes: quarter, half, and full loaves. When you order a bunny chow in Durban, you just ask for the size and flavor you want. For example, you might say, "Can I have a quarter mutton bunny?"
Most people eat bunny chows with their fingers. It's quite unusual to see locals using forks or spoons for this dish.
In the past, bunny chows were often wrapped in old newspaper. This isn't common anymore. Now, takeaway bunnies are usually sold in special "bunny boxes." These boxes keep the food warm and stop the curry from leaking.
You can find bunny chows in many small takeaway shops and Indian restaurants across South Africa. The price can vary. A quarter beans bunny might cost around R 15 (US$1.01), while a quarter mutton bunny could be about R 50 (US$3.38). A full bunny usually costs three to four times more than a quarter.
Every year, there's a fun event called the "Bunny Chow Barometer." It takes place in September on the south bank of the Umgeni River in Durban. Many people from the Durban area join to compete for the title of the best bunny maker!
See also
In Spanish: Bunny chow para niños
