Bunny chow

Bunny chow, often referred to simply as a bunny,is a South African fast food dish consisting of a hollowed-out loaf of white bread filled with curry. It originated among Indian South Africans of Durban. A small version of the bunny chow that uses only a quarter loaf of bread is sometimes called a scambane or kota ("quarter"); it is a name that it shares with sphatlho, a South African dish that evolved from the bunny chow.

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. It was also sold in Gwelo, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) during World War II and is still sold in the nearby town of Kadoma, formerly known as Gatooma.

Bunny chows are popular amongst Indians and other ethnic groups in the Durban area. Bunny chows are commonly filled with curries made using traditional recipes from Durban: mutton or lamb curry, chicken curry, trotters & beans curry and beans curry. Other varieties found across the country using less traditional Durban-Indian food include chips with curry gravy, fried sausage, cheese, eggs and polony. These are all popular fillings; the original bunny chow was vegetarian. Bunny chows are often served with a side portion of salad containing grated carrot, chilli and onion salad. commonly known as sambals, this includes chopped tomatoes, onions, and green chilies served with white vinegar. Other sides include Indian pickles, such as mango pickle, lime or lemon pickle, vegetable pickles and other seasonal varieties which are pickled. A key desirable characteristic of a bunny chow is seen when gravy from the curry fillings soaks into the walls of the bread. 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); colloquially, people would say, "Can I have a quarter mutton bunny?" Bunny chows are mainly eaten using the fingers; it is unusual to see locals use utensils when eating this dish.

Bunny chows were historically packaged in the previous day's newspaper. This is no longer common, and takeaway bunnies are more typically sold in "bunny boxes" which retain heat and prevent leaks from the curry.