Bunny Chow - the curry diaspora from Durban

Curry, the royal dish from India, has taken many forms around the world. Like India, curry – the spicy gravy - as we know it today is a product of centuries of migration to the region. Some came to the Indus valley region to conquer, some in reach of a new home - all adding a little to curry as we know it today.

Starting in the 1800s, the migration pendulum reversed as the first wave of the Indian diaspora was started by the British. First, Indians in dire need left the shores of India as indentured laborer to work in the sugarcane fields of Fiji, Trinadad and Tobago, and South Africa. The next wave included merchants and teachers that left to earn a better living in Africa and the Middle East.

To put the timeline is perspective, this was all happening while the United States was still a nascent country and Australia was not yet established as a nation.

Coming back to food, there are many origin stories for the Bunny Chow. Some say that placing curry in a large hollowed bread bowl was an easy and mess-free way of serving the laborers around Durban, South African that were not allowed into the restaurants (remember, apartheid). Others attribute it to the portability and affordability of a loaf for the laborers.

Regardless, Bunny Chow today is a mainstream dish in South African. Kind of like pizza in America. You can order a bunny chow at small eaters to high-end restaurants and Safari lounges across Africa. It is also a staple meal for cabbies to college students in South African that are looking for a quick, satisfying meal.

The birth and rise of the Bunny Chow is synonymous with the story of Indians in Africa. Both born out of necessity, and eventually become an integral part of the society.