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Bunny Chow

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description Bunny Chow Overview

Bunny Chow is a Durban specialty originating in the 1940s. It presents a spiced curry – typically meat or beans – served within a half loaf of white bread. This unique street food combines South African and Indian culinary traditions. It’s popular with those seeking flavorful, warming meals, particularly individuals interested in exploring diverse cuisines.

help Bunny Chow FAQ

Where did the name "Bunny Chow" come from?

Despite its name, the dish contains no rabbit. The term is believed to have originated in Durban, South Africa, deriving from the "Bania" (an Indian merchant caste) who sold the bread bowls filled with bean curry, which became colloquially known as a "bunny."

How is a traditional Durban Bunny Chow assembled?

A Bunny Chow is made by taking a whole loaf of white bread, slicing it in half, and hollowing out the soft inner crumb. The hollowed-out crust is then filled to the brim with piping hot curry and capped with the removed piece of bread.

What type of curry is most commonly used to fill a Bunny Chow?

The most popular and traditional fillings for a Bunny Chow are spicy mutton, chicken, or kidney bean curries made in the Durban style. These curries are highly spiced and thick enough so that the gravy soaks into the bread bowl without making it instantly soggy.

When and why was the Bunny Chow invented in South Africa?

The Bunny Chow was created in the 1940s by Indian workers in Durban as a portable lunch. It is widely rumored that during the apartheid era, people of color were not allowed to sit in certain white-owned restaurants, so shopkeepers served them curries inside hollowed loaves of bread to easily hand through windows or take back to the fields.

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