The Great Bunny Chow (South Africa)

What part of this is a sandwich?

So…there’s a chance that I used the phrase “the great” in the title either in the pejorative sense, or to reference another sandwich from South Africa called gatsby.

Regardless of whether I enjoyed this food, what seems to be in less dispute is the origin of the name of bunny chow.

Gotcha again!  That’s even more contentious.  Less disputable is that the name “bunny” stems from the South Asian merchant class called Bania.  But did the idea stem from Indian golf caddies or a necessity to find a sturdier bread to support the curry, vegetables, beans, potatoes (and these days, meat) than the beloved roti?

The one I tried (above), in Soweto, Johannesburg, looks awfully downtrodden.  I didn’t actually know what bunny chow was before a local told me to GET SOMETHING ALREADY.  Wait sec…this looks somewhat familiar after all.

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Would you prefer a gatsby over bunny chow?

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