By 
Durban is not known for being the seat of culinary invention, but we have made at least one major contribution to world cuisine in the form of the Bunny Chow.
The Bunny Chow is a very simple affair consisting of a hollowed out quarter, half, or a full loaf of bread filled with any available curry, including beef, lamb, chicken, or beans. The Bunny Chow should be freshly made from ripe curry and the piece of bread, or virgin, that was removed to make room for the curry should be placed on top of the Bunny before wrapping. Some chefs add sambals to their bunnies, but many feel it is unnecessary elaboration.
The exact origins of the Bunny Chow are shrouded in myth and legend, but one school of thought says it was invented by a chef at Queen’s Tavern.
Another theory is that it was invented for Indian caddies at the Royal Durban golf course who couldn’t get off work long enough to hit Gray Street for a curry at lunchtime. The story goes that they got their friends to buy the curry for them and brought it to the golf course in hollowed out loaves of bread because there were no disposable food containers at the time. The explanation that rabbits were first made on Gray Street contains some water because the merchants there were known as banias and therefore the phrase Bunny Chow could mean “merchants’ food.”
If the origin of the bunny was on Gray Street, then a prime candidate for where it was invented is the GC Kapitan vegetarian restaurant, which operated at 154 Gray Street between 1912 and 1992. Whether the bunny was invented there or not, GC Kapitan’s The Bean Bunny was famous and enjoyed by common people and luminaries like Indira Gandhi.
However, whatever the truth may be, Bunny Chow has earned an enduring place in the affections of the locals of Durban and there are many of us who could not exist for long without them. The correct way to refer to Bunny Chows when discussing them or asking the nearest supplier for directions is as Bunnies. Using the word Chow will indelibly mark you as an outsider, and quite unattractive at that.
The Bunny Chow should always be eaten with your fingers starting with the piece of bread, or virgin, at the top. Fans treat the virgin as an appetizer to the main course and it is considered very bad to seize and eat someone else’s virgin without their express invitation. Next, you should serve yourself the curry, tear pieces off the side of the bread and dip them in the sauce.
The trick here is to avoid tearing off pieces of bread that are below the current sauce line, otherwise you’ll end up with a steaming dough on your lap. For the same reason, you need to check if your Bunny Chow was made with the end of a loaf or if it is a Funny Bunny made in the middle and therefore without a crust on the bottom.
A funny bunny is no less tasty, but you need to be careful to hold onto the base in case it gives way and gives viewers something to laugh about; Are you starting to see how it got its name?
While eating your bunny you can sweat and blow your nose often, say “Wow!” You cannot betray that you are in pain if the bunny is too hot for your liking. Just relax and think about those nice endorphins you’ll get when your brain finally kicks in. Stay away from the sauce if you have real difficulties, as experience has shown that it is the spiciest part of curry; Whatever the level of burned, don’t drink water, it only makes it worse!