- [Narrator] Gordon Ramsey
is heading to Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa
to learn the secrets of Zulu cuisine.
But how the region developed some of its signature dishes,
reveals a deeper and darker history.
In just one stroll through a spice market,
in Durban, South Africa,
you can find the perfect marriage of Indo-African flavor.
From the touch of spice and a fresh Ushatini
to the powerful heat found in traditional Durban Curry.
But how did Indian spices find their way
into South African cuisine?
- The Zulu palette is very simplistic,
but we do add a touch of chili every now and then.
- Right.
- Because that sort of culture
has infiltrated throughout the region.
- [Narrator] As of 2019,
there are approximately 1.5 million people
of Indian descent currently living in South Africa.
In 1860, the British began bringing in Indians
to what is now known as the Kwazulu-Natal Province.
This wave of people were predominantly indentured servants
who came to work in South Africa sugarcane industry.
India abandoned indentured labor immigration
to the province in 1911.
But with the end of indentured servitude,
came the beginning of apartheid in 1948,
the sanction racial segregation and political
and economic discrimination against non-whites.
Prior to and during the apartheid era,
South African Indian cuisine came from Indians,
reworking their own classic dishes
with the ingredients they had available
and combining the elements and new ways.
Take one of Durban signature dishes, Durban Curry.
When the first groups of indentured servants
came to the Kwazulu-Natal Province,
ingredients that they were long accustomed to, were scarce.
To make meals stretch, local varieties of potatoes
were added into the curry,
which acted as a base to the abundant amount of meat
and poultry available.
Durban Curry also garnered its iconic red hot flavor profile
due to its incorporation of Indian hot chilies.
- Oh my God, that's hot.
- I thought you looked like a spicy guy to me.
- [Narrator] Another example, Durban's Bunny Chow.
The meal is made to be eaten with your hands
and it was a more durable spin on Indian bean Curry
with roti.
It consists of a loaf of white bread
with the center hollowed out
and stuffed with curry.
Several origins tie the dish to the Indian working class
and the prejudice conditions of the apartheid era.
A popular origin suggests that it was used as a way
to serve people of color who were forbidden to eat
in cafes and restaurants.
Nonwhite customers had to order their food to go
at the door and the dense bread served as a robust
and portable container.
From indentured servitude to apartheid,
Indian cuisine in South Africa
was not just used as a way to fill hungry bellies.
It was used as a way to preserve a culture
and helped create a new one in the process.
(upbeat music)