Kota, the popular street food from Gauteng, will be celebrated in Cape Town this weekend. The Cape Town Kota Fest takes place on Saturday 5 September, on a farm in Philadelphia.

According to Wikipedia, a kota is a popular South African street food made from a hollowed-out quarter loaf of white bread stuffed with savoury fillings. These fillings include food items like slap chips (soft French fries), polony, cheese, atchar (mango pickle), and various meats.

The free, online encyclopedia further states that the dish had its origin in township communities in Gauteng. Apparently, over time, it evolved from an earlier version filled with mince and mashed potatoes to a more accessible, highly customizable on-the-go meal.

READ MORE: The South African Kota Sandwich

There are also online reports that it is culturally related to the Durban-born bunny chow. This aromatic and spicy dish, with various fillings, also uses a hollowed-out loaf of bread to hold curry. Furthermore, the livekindly.com website states that the word “kota” comes from a township slang pronunciation of the English word “quarter.” This apparently refers to the size of the bread loaf. “It is also known as a sphatlho or skhambane in different regions.”