Indian food is much loved around the world – the British have even elevated it to National Food status and with over 9,500 curry houses in the UK, ‘going for a curry’ on a Friday evening has become as English as ‘popping down the pub for a pint’.

Curry reached our golden shores more than 250 years ago and we have our own long-standing love affair with this aromatic and spicy cuisine. Durban alone is said to boast the largest single population of Indians outside India, so it can come as no surprise then that along with this rich history we’ve created our own uniquely South African Indian dish – the bunny chow. Consisting of a hollowed-out loaf of bread filled with typically chicken, mutton or lamb curry, it’s been a firm favourite since its inception in the 1940s. Its exact origin is unclear, although Bunny is derived from Bania which is the name for an Indian trader or merchant. They are said to have used bread, because as a ‘container’ it proved to be more resilient than a roti, which fell apart easily if not eaten immediately. It remains a cherished national dish and is celebrated each year in Durban where Coco Cola’s Bunny Chow Barometer aims to find the best bunny chow in the area – this year the Gold Plate Award went to Canecutters in Glenwood.

Loved for its pungent and aromatic taste, the Washington Post ran an article about researchers at the Indian Institute for Technology in Jodhpur who found that the reason we love Indian food so much is not just because of its different spices and complex tastes – it has more to do with the fact that there are a fewer number of overlapping flavours. While Western food typically tries to pair different tastes, the average Indian dish consists of at least seven different ingredients with each bringing a unique component to the end result.

Not only is Indian food a taste explosion, but curry and its accompanying spices also carry a host of health benefits – they are said to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s, improve mood, reduce the risk of certain cancers, boost the immune system, lower the risk of heart disease, improve circulation, reduce blood pressure and provide pain relief, particularly pain associated with joint inflammation. So whether it’s to nourish your body or delight your taste buds, make your next meal an Indian one – Namaste.