Bunny Chow

A bunny is a loaf of white bread cut into a quarter or a half, the soft centre pulled out, the cavity filled with curry, and the removed bread - the virgin - put back on top for dipping. It comes from Durban's Indian community, the largest outside India, and the standard account is that it was a portable lunch for workers who needed a container that could be eaten. There is no cutlery: you tear, dip and work down through the bread as it soaks. Mutton is the traditional filling, with beans the vegetarian standard and chicken now common; heat runs from mild to genuinely fierce and is worth asking about. Order by size - quarter, half, full - and a quarter is a substantial meal. The dish has spread nationwide but the Durban version, in the small cafes of Grey Street and the suburbs, is the reference.

What you actually see

• The hollowed loaf - a quarter or half of white bread as the bowl.
• The virgin - the removed centre, put back on top for dipping.
• No cutlery - torn and eaten by hand as the bread soaks through.
• Mutton and beans - the traditional fillings, chicken now common.

When to go

All year. An hour. Lunchtime, when the curries have been on longest.

Honest expectations

It is very large and very rich - a quarter defeats most people. Heat levels can be severe; ask before ordering. It is messy by design and there is no elegant way to eat one. Quality varies enormously between takeaways.

Nearby

The Victoria Street Market is in central Durban; the beachfront is east.