Sphatlho or kota is a South African street food popular in all

provinces of South Africa South Africa is divided into nine provinces. On the eve of the 1994 South African general election, 1994 general election, South Africa's former homelands, known as Bantustans, were reintegrated into the country, and the four provinces were incr ...

. It is basically a sandwich with meat and french fries. In other regions, it is well-known as "skhambane".

History

The kota concept started as a hollowed-out quarter loaf of

bread Bread is a baked food product made from water, flour, and often yeast. It is a staple food across the world, particularly in Europe and the Middle East. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cu ...

filled with beef mince and

mashed potato Mashed potato or mashed potatoes ( American, Canadian, and Australian English), colloquially known as mash (British English), is a dish made by mashing boiled or steamed potatoes, usually with added milk, butter, salt, and pepper. It is general ...

es in the South African

township A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...

s. Initially it was sold at schools during lunch breaks. It then evolved to being filled with fried potato "slap" chips instead of mash and other ingredients such as

sausage A sausage is a type of meat product usually made from ground meat—often pork, beef, or poultry—along with salt, spices and other flavourings. Other ingredients, such as grains or breadcrumbs, may be included as fillers or extenders. ...

egg An egg is an organic vessel grown by an animal to carry a possibly fertilized egg cell (a zygote) and to incubate from it an embryo within the egg until the embryo has become an animal fetus that can survive on its own, at which point the ...

, beef patty,

cheese Cheese is a type of dairy product produced in a range of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk (usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats or sheep). During prod ...

, polony and atchar replaced the mince as it started being sold at tuckshops in townships. The name kota was derived from the English word quarter, referring to the size of the bread loaf used. The name sphatlho was derived from the sotho word "phatlhola", meaning to separate or break apart. The dish is derived from bunny chow.

Spaza shops

Spaza shop Spaza shops, also known as tuck shops, originated in Apartheid-era South Africa when enterprising historically disadvantaged individuals were restricted from owning formal businesses, they began setting up informal, micro-convenience shops from ...

s sell popular street food, including kota. Spaza shops are the backbone of township economy. Spaza shops that sell this popular street food normally set minimum prices at R15 ranging to over R120 depending on the size and ingredients. Consumers are largely students and low income individuals, because it is the cheapest alternative to hamburgers. This meal is usually available in every area across the country. Kota is considered a staple township food in South Africa and is often consumed with a soft drink, usually a

cola Cola is a Carbonation, carbonated soft drink flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, citrus essential oil, oils, and other flavorings. Cola became popular worldwide after the American pharmacist John Stith Pemberton invented Coca-Cola, a trademarked br ...

References

Gauteng South African cuisine Sandwiches {{SouthAfrica-cuisine-stub