Egg rolls are often included on pupu platters.
Pupu platters originated in Hawaii and achieved great popularity during the 1950s and '60s at Polynesian and Asian restaurants. The word pupu literally translates to snail in Hawaiian, but the dish became synonymous with a variety of finger foods or appetizers served together. Pupu platters typically include a combination of sweet and savory foods, with textures ranging from smooth to crispy. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Meat Selections
Teriyaki beef is a staple on most pupu platters. The beef is typically threaded onto bamboo skewers with pieces of zucchini or bell peppers, then grilled and served with a dipping sauce. Pork spare ribs glazed with sweetened pineapple juice and cut into bite-sized pieces are customarily served on pupu platters and eaten with the hands. Pork-filled egg rolls are another typical pupu platter offering.
Poultry Assortments
Conventional pupu platters include honey-soy glazed chicken wings. Variations on the poultry selections of pupu platters include spicy chicken wings, garlic chicken nuggets and chicken fingers, served with a variety of sweet and savory sauces and dips. Skewered and grilled marinated chicken with spicy peanut sauces can be found on pupu platters served at Thai restaurants.
Seafood Appetizers
Chinese-inspired pupu platters commonly include shrimp toast, an appetizer made from chopped cooked shrimp seasoned with fresh ginger, soy sauce, scallions, toasted sesame oil, cilantro and sherry. The mixture is spread onto crustless white bread squares or rounds and deep fried. Other pupu platters replace the shrimp toast with grilled prawns topped with pineapple and red onion salsa or mango-lime dipping sauce. Crab rangoon, deep-fried dumplings made with lump crab, herb-flavored cream cheese and garlic in wonton wrappers, are included in many platter selections.
Vegetables and Fruits
Bacon-wrapped pineapple and scallions broiled to a crisp are commonly part of pupu platters. Mushroom egg rolls and spring rolls filled with bean sprouts and shredded carrots are served on the platter, along with sweet and sour sauce and hot Chinese mustard to add texture and flavor to the deep-fried appetizers. Pot stickers, Asian appetizers traditionally filled with spicy cabbage or ground meat mixed with vegetables, cooked in boiling water and then pan-fried, are often part of pupu platters.
Pupu Platter Beverage Accompaniments
In keeping with Polynesian tradition, cocktails with island flavors are frequently served with pupu platters. Fruity concoctions, such as Mai Tais, Singapore Slings, Blue Hawaiians and Pina Coladas, pair well with the spices and flavors dominant in many pupu platter foods.
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