Pu pu platter

A Pu pu platter, pu-pu platter or pupu platter is a tray of American Chinese cuisine consisting of an assortment of small meat and seafood appetizers. A typical pupu platter, as found in American Chinese cuisine, might include an egg roll, spare ribs, chicken wings, chicken fingers, beef teriyaki, skewered beef, fried wontons, crab rangoon, fried shrimp, among other items, accompanied with a small hibachi grill.

Hawaiian origin and etymology

Despite its Chinese sound, the word "pupu" is Hawaiian in origin; "pūpū" is similar in meaning to a relish, appetizer, canapé, or hors d'oeuvre according to the Pukui and Elbert "Hawaiian Dictionary" published by the University of Hawaii Press. Among its other meanings in Hawaiian are: 1. shell; 2. circular motif; 3. bunch, tuft, bundle, or bouquet; 4. to gather together, as in a net. "Pūpū" originally referred to the fish, chicken, or banana relish served with kava (`awa, kavakava, "Piper methysticum"). The word "pūpū", like all Hawaiian words, does not take the teminal "s" in the plural. However, American English has adopted pūpū as a loan word, dropped the "kahako" (macron), and uses the "s" plural. The belief that "pu pu" comes from the Cantonese dialect of Chinese (bou2 means "treasure," "jewel," "precious," or "rare") appears to be an example of Sinicization of a Hawaiian word.

In Hawaiian cuisine

Since the introduction of commercial dining and drinking establishments in Hawai`i, pūpū were, and remain, standard fare in island establishments. [Unlike in American Chinese cuisine, the Hawaiian dish is referred to simply as "pūpū" or "pūpūs," without the word "platter."] An establishment that serves "heavy pupus" will often have a buffet table with warming trays full of chicken, tempura vegetables, shrimp, "poke" (cubed and seasoned raw fish), small skewers of teriyaki meat or chicken, sushi, and other similar finger foods. An establishment that serves "light pupus" usually will offer only the cold foods such as "poke", sushi, and vegetables. Some establishments will serve pūpū to the table.

At Hawai`i bars, restaurants, catered events such as political rallies, and private parties, establishments and hosts are known in "local" circles by the quality of their pupus. Event invitations often will state that "light pupus" or "heavy pupus" will be served so that attendees will know whether they should plan to have a full meal before the event or not.

Today, the simple platter of dried fish, grilled chicken, and slices of banana has evolved into chefs' offerings of international delicacies artfully arranged for visual as well as gustatory pleasure. Modern "pupu platters" can hold offerings of anything from traditional Hawaiian fare to exotic combinations never before seen.

In American Chinese cuisine

The term "pupu platter" appears to be a mid-20th century introduction to the American Chinese culinary lexicon, though the concept of serving pūpū appears to have spread to North America from Hawai`i via such entrepreneurs as Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vic during the craze for "Polynesian-style" food of the 1940s and 1950s. [Heyhoe, Kate. Way, Thomas. A Chicken in Every Pot: Global Recipes for the World's Most Popular Bird. [2004] (2004). Capital Books. ISBN 1931868328] . The "pupu platter" of that time was in actuality based largely on Cantonese cuisine as interpreted by American bar owners who catered to the American taste for "exotic" Polynesian/Asian dishes. During this period, most Chinese restaurants in the United States were Cantonese-operated. Such restaurants catered to the more conservative American public while still providing a taste of the exotic, and may have provided a "pupu platter," though not necessarily by that name. The fact that the American Chinese pu pu platter is almost always served in a hardwood tray (with carved sections for each food item) seems further evidence that the dish is of Hawaiian origin.

The term "pupu platter" gained popularity in the 1990s as chefs experimented with "Pacific Rim cuisine."

References

ee also

*Don the Beachcomber
*Siu laap