#Days and nights. Winter or summer. Pho is still by our side. Tasty and unforgettable. Made in Vietnam
Just like ‘Chicken curry paste’ in India or ‘Pad thai’ in Thailand, Pho is considered as an Vietnam’s unofficial street food. From the North to the South, a steaming bowl of Pho always attracts people in its special and charming way, exported with national pride all over the world. Familiar as Pho with Vietnamese people is, it is still a mysterious woman if anyone has intention to explore her soul.
Pho – An astonishing piece of history
Despite its popularity, Pho’s origin has long been a controversial topic. However, culinary experts generally agreed that rice noodles were not invented by Vietnamese but were brought by Cantonese immigrants from Guandong province in Southern China. Nobody knows exactly when the first Pho recipe appeared in Vietnam. One famous theory is related to a woman named Thị Ba, the lover of François Pierre, a French non-commissioned officer living in Sai Gon from 1910-1014. To satisfy her lover’s taste, she had to renovate the French dish ‘potaufeu’ with beef and vegetables matching with Vietnamese tropical cooking materials. Vietnamese agree that Nam Dinh is the hometown of Pho. So what is the truth here? An argument is that ingenious cooks in Nam Dinh wanted to satisfy the gastronomic tastes of Vietnamese and French residents by inventing dish using local ingredients and adding du boeuf (beef) for a bit of foreign extravagance. On the other hand, there was another document mentioned Pho published in 1909: a book called’ Technique du peuple annamite’
(Technique of An Nam people) by Henri Oger. It can be inferred that Pho must have appeared before 1909.
2.# The name ‘ Phở’
The question is: Why do people call this rice noodle bowl ‘Pho’? A picture found in the late of XIX drawn a pot was given name ‘ nhục phấn ’ .In the short story ‘ Đánh bạc’ ( Gamble) written by Tản Đà , a famous Vietnamese author, around 1915, he changed ‘ phấn’ to ‘phơ’. Some years later, Vietnamese pronounced it a little bit differently to ‘ phở’. This theory rejected the name ‘ pho‘ originated from ‘ feu’ in ‘ potaufeu’.
- #Movement
In the North:
Based on some pictures captured in the early of XX century and an article written by Thạch Lam “ Adding to Pho’’ in ‘ Hanoi: 36 Streets and Districts’ in 1943 , Pho was very popular in the North, especially in Hanoi, sold by street vendors
In the South:
The fact is that, in 1940, according to Tô Hoài, a well-known Vietnamese short stories author, Pho was only available in two stores. In the next 10 years, in 1950, only one more store opened. Pho took an extremely slow step. However, in 1954, Vietnam was split into two parts according to the Geneva Accords. To avoid communism, many northerners migrated southward, brought along their Pho recipe. Then, Pho was gradually transformed and dominated in many food stores.
Pho# – the balance taste of senses - #The broth
Like any famous dishes in the world, Pho has its own revolution. Each part of Vietnam may add their own styles and flavor in each steaming bowl to match with their taste. However, there is still one rule that every cook must bear in mind: the secret and the heart of Pho lies in the broth. The broth is generally made by simmering beef bones, oxtails, flank steak, charred onion, charred ginger and spices. It is just the core of a basic pot. For a more intense flavor, some special herbs may help the broth obtain strong smell. It will cost a life-time to master the broth.
It takes hours to complete the broth: the more hours of simmering, the better taste it will serve. Careful cooks often roast ginger and onion over an open fire for about a minute before putting them to the stock to maintain their natural flavor. They also skim off all the impurities that float to the top while cooking; this is the key to a clear broth. Nước mắm (fish sauce) is added toward the end. - #Garnishes
A steaming bowl of Pho is best served with garnishes. Together with the broth, garnishes play a role as a bridge carrying the message of Pho and Vietnamese soul to customers.
Typical herbs
- Onion
- Chili peppers
- Cilantro
- Bean sprouts
- Thai basil
Sauces:
- Fish sauce
- Chili sauce
- Hoisin sauce
- Garlic and pepper vinegar
One notable feature distinguishing Pho in the North and the South is bean sprouts. In the South, bean sprouts are often seen on tables and sometimes, they make Northern people mistake Pho for ‘hủ tiếu’. Uyen Luu, the author of ‘My Vietnamese kitchen’: "In the south, they use a lot of herbs and they have it slightly different than people from the north. But more or less, it's a beef noodle soup, and it's got special spices in it that makes it really unique."
Yin yang balance is highly appreciated in Vietnamese dish. Pho provides contrasts in temperature and spiciness of the food and environment, the ‘heating’ and ‘cooling’ elements are well combined. Spicy taste of chili sauce and peppers (hot ) are balanced with sourness from lemons ( cool). Beef and chicken, which are “warm”, are served with Thai basil and cilantro, which are “cold”.
Pho is undoubtedly the balance of sweet, sour, spicy, salty.
Pho# - A diverse menu
It is depended on regions that decide Pho styles and ingredients. Basically, in the past, chicken together with Pho with beef are two preferred and popular dishes.
In this globalization days, Pho is also made change to be adaptable to tourists’ demands all over the world. Vegetarian and Tofu Pho are also found in many big cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hue.
Pho is not only renovated in ingredients but also in the cooking methods
On the menu across Vietnam
#Pho tai: With sliced steak
#Pho chin: With brisket
#Pho bo vien: With beef meatballs
#Pho ga: With chicken
#Pho tom: With prawns
#Pho chay: Tofu and mushrooms
#Pho nam rom: With mushrooms
#Pho cay: spicy beef noodle soup
#Pho hai san: pho noodle soup with added seafood
#Pho sach bo: traditional-style pho with added beef tripe
Pho – National pride around the world
Pho is recognized as a symbol of Vietnam worldwide.
The Pho chain of restaurants says on its website: "Vietnamese food is fresh, healthy and low in fat. Pho exemplifies this cuisine. It's full of fresh ingredients and high in vitamins and minerals - the perfect food to fight off nasty cold bugs, blast hangovers away and provide a healthy choice."
There are many famous Pho chains from Western countries to the Eastern ones.
Here is the table with some outstanding chains, which shows the popularity of Pho:
ENGLAND
KOREA
AUSTRALIA
SINGAPORE
AMERICA
Many tourists agree that ‘Vietnam is a noodle-crazy population’. However, Pho may occupy itself the unique land where its world is something charming but mysterious enough to engross food lovers. Pho is not just purely a delicious dish of Vietnam. It is the beauty and the spirit that is worth appreciated worldwide in a proper way.
