 A shrimp po' boy | |
| Alternative names | po-boy po boy |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Region or state | AmericanDeep South |
| Main ingredients | Multiple |
| Variations | Multiple |
Apo' boy (alsopo-boy,po boy derived from thenon-rhoticsouthern accents often heard in the region, orpoor boy) is asandwich originally fromLouisiana. It traditionally consists of meat, which is usuallyroast beef,ham, or friedseafood such asshrimp,crawfish,fish,oysters, orcrab. The meat is served inNew Orleans French bread, known for its crisp crust and fluffy center.
A wide selection of meat fills the "po' boy bread,"[1] including roast beef, ham, fried shrimp,[2] friedcrawfish,[2] friedcatfish,[3]Louisiana hot sausage,[4] fried chicken, alligator, duck,boudin, and rabbit listed among possible ingredients.[5]
"Po' boy bread" is a local style of French bread traditionally made with less flour and more water than a traditionalbaguette, yielding a wetter dough that produces a lighter and fluffier bread that is less chewy. The recipe was developed in the 1700s in the Gulf South because the humid climate was not conducive to growing wheat, requiring wheat flour to be imported and thus less available.[6]
A "dressed" po' boy has shredded lettuce, sliced tomato, sliced pickles, and mayonnaise.[7] Fried seafood po' boys can be dressed with melted butter and sliced pickle rounds. A Louisiana-style hot sauce is optional. Non-seafood po' boys will also often haveCreole mustard.
Aside from meat and seafood, cheese has also been a recognized ingredient since theGreat Depression,[9] the sandwich's inception occurring at the beginning of that period (year 1929).[8]
The fried oyster po'boys are also referred to by the distinct name "oyster loaf", and apparently have a different and older history.[10][11]
In a New Orleans "sloppy roast beef" po' boy, thick cuts are served with gravy,[12][13] or for the "CrockPot tender" type the beef is stewed down until melded with its sauce,[13] while in a third style, thinner slices are dipped in beefjus.[13] Garlic is an optional seasoning.[13] Roast beef po' boys are commonly offered with "debris" (pronounced['deɪbɹi]), which is bits of meat that fall during cooking and are rendered into a near-gravy.[14][15]
In the late 19th century, friedoyster sandwiches on French loaves were known in New Orleans as "oyster loaves", a term still in use. A sandwich containing both fried shrimp and fried oysters is often called a "peacemaker" orLa Médiatrice.[11]
A popular local theory claims that the term "poor boy" (later "po' boy", etc.), specifically referring to a type of sandwich, was coined in aNew Orleans restaurant owned by Benjamin ("Benny") and Clovis Martin, formerstreetcar conductors originally fromRaceland, Louisiana.
The Martins established their eatery in 1921. In 1929 the bakery of John Gendusa first baked the bread used for this sandwich.[8][16] In 1929,during a four-month strike against the streetcar company, the Martin brothers served their former colleagues free sandwiches.[16][17][18]
The Martins were interviewed on record regarding the origins of the sandwich. Benny Martin reminisced that they jokingly referred to an incoming diner as "another poor boy" if he turned out to be one of the strikers.[16] The Martin brothers were asked the question of whether the name was inspired by some French or French patois word such aspourboire, but they denied that was the case.[8]
One New Orleans historian finds the Martin claim suspicious for several reasons, starting with the fact that it was not described by the local press until 40 years after the strike, and that prior to 1969 the story from the Martin brothers themselves was that they had created the po' boy for farmers, dock workers and other "poor boys" who frequented their original location near the French Market. The Martin brothers wrote a letter, reprinted in local newspapers in 1929, promising to feed the streetcar workers, but it referenced "our meal" and made no mention of sandwiches.[19]
New Orleans is known for its grand restaurants (seeLouisiana Creole cuisine), but more humble fare like the po' boy is very popular.[20] Po' boys may be made at home, sold pre-packaged in convenience stores, available at deli counters and most neighborhood restaurants.[20] One of the most basic New Orleans restaurants is a po' boy shop, and these shops often offer seafood platters,red beans and rice,jambalaya, and other basic Creole dishes.[20]
The two primary sources of po'boy bread are theLeidenheimer Baking Company and Alois J. Binder.[21] There is fierce competition between po' boy shops, and resident opinions of the best po' boy shop varies widely.[22]
Each year there is a festival in New Orleans dedicated to the po' boy, the Oak Street Po'Boy Festival.[23] It is a one-day festival that features live music, arts, and food vendors with multiple types of po' boys. It is held in mid-November along a commercial strip of Oak Street in the city'sCarrollton neighborhood.[23] The festival gives "best-of" awards, which gives the chefs an incentive to invent some of the most creative po' boys.[22]
Authentic versions of Louisiana-style po' boys can be found along theGulf Coast, fromHouston through theFlorida Panhandle. The term "po' boy" has spread further and can be found in theSouth Atlantic States and inCalifornia, where it may instead refer to local variations on thesubmarine sandwich.[citation needed]
Houston has its own variety of the po' boy, withchowchow added to ham, salami and provolone cheese, created in the 1960s and popularized bySyrian and Lebanese restaurateurs.[24][25][26] Stephen Paulsen of theHouston Chronicle said the sandwich was "in the city’s food DNA, theShipley Do-Nuts of sandwiches."[27] It was first created byLebanese American Jalal Antone, owner ofAntone's Import Company in theFourth Ward, in 1962 after his brother-in-law warned him that area residents at the time would not be accustomed toLevantine cuisine and the business should focus on something more familiar.[24][27]
John Lomax ofHoustonia described the 1970s and 1980s as the height of their popularity and that the growth of chain sandwich shops that operated across the United States, the introduction ofbanh mi, and the poor quality of similar sandwiches in gas stations resulted in a decrease in popularity for the variety.[24]
Vietnamese immigration to the Gulf South, including New Orleans, since the 1970s has led to some crossover between po' boys andbánh mì.[28]
