A bunny and some weeds

It's a lovely night at Spiga D'oros, an Italian restaurant in the popular Florida Road in Durban. It's a street full of pubs, clubs and restaurants, and a few sidewalk cafes that stay open late. After a hard day's work (now don't go "yeah, right") I was loitering about there when a local friend asked if I had had some DP yet. Now I've been DLF-ed to death, but what is a DP? "There are two famous things, my friend, that originate in Durban - Bunny Chow and Durban Poison."

I have had Bunny Chow. It's veg, mutton, lamb or chicken curry served in a loaf of bread. The bread forms the container that holds the curry in. It's messy to eat but a delightful, finger-licking experience. You start by breaking the bread and slowly crumbling it into the curry inside as you go along.

There are several versions of the story of how Bunny Chow got its origin. According to one, the first Indian migrants who came over to work in the sugarcane fields didn't have time to make the traditional Indian bread, the roti, and instead began to eat local bread with curries. Then they decided that instead of going through the bother of carrying bread and curry separately, it'd be better to cut the bread in half, hollow out the inside and stuff it with curry. Bravo! The Bunny Chow was born.

Another version has it that it was introduced at a restaurant called Kapitan's, where Africans weren't allowed in because of apartheid. The manager, known as Bhanya, created a hole in the wall and sold the locals takeaways. When he found the rotis crumbled easily, he hit on the idea of packing the curry in the bread. Bhanya's Chow was a hit, and the name evolved to the current one.

And what is Durban Poison? "Marijuana, my friend. It's 100% sativa." Whatever that is. DP is, I'm told, a famous kind of weed that's also available in countries like the Netherlands.

To get back to Bunny Chow: when you're in Durban, just ask for quarter (or half or full) Bunny. Don't say "chow". It's uncool. And if you really want to pass as a local, say, "Gimme quarter mutton" (or beef or whatever curry you want). The restaurant guy will know. How? Maybe he is on DP. Who knows, but they know. Trust me.