Papa’s Sapasui

hen we were looking for a family dish to pair with
our Samoan culture theme, the first person I thought
of was one of my best friends, Fina Nepo. We’ve been
friends for over 25 years and her family always has great food at
their get-togethers. She is sharing one of their favorite meals with
all of us! This family favorite was always made by
Fina’s father, Salei Nepo (Papa).
Sapasui is the popular Samoan adaptation of
Chinese chop suey. Even the name “sapasui” is a
Samoanized version of “chop suey.” This saucy dish
is a staple at Samoan family gatherings and feasts.
Fina and her family enjoyed many sapasuis at big
and small gatherings. I made it myself and my own
family enjoyed it with rice, but Fina said they usu-
ally pair it with fa‘al ifu fa‘i (green bananas cooked
with coconut milk).