Pho is a famous traditional dish of Vietnam, known for its distinctive flavor and variety in preparation, from beef pho, chicken pho to other variations. This dish is not only an indispensable part of Vietnamese cuisine but also a cultural symbol, loved all over the world.
However, not everyone knows how to enjoy Vietnamese Pho in the most complete way. Let’s join VietTravelGuide.com to learn more about this famous Vietnamese dish.
Where did Vietnamese Pho come from?
There are many different hypotheses about the origin of Vietnamese Pho, but so far the origin of Pho has not been clearly determined. According to researcher Nguyen Ngoc Tien, who has researched many sources of documents about Pho, such as documents in libraries, the National Archives Center…, including the family history of the Nguyen Dinh family on Hang Ngang Street, originally from Thanh Tri but living in Thang Long since the end of the 17th century.
The family history book talks about the origin of Pho, originating from the dish of buffalo noodle soup, made from buffalo bone broth poured over noodles, with added onions and a little buffalo meat. This dish is mainly sold at ferry terminals, the Red River bank, serving the porters here.
Later, the sellers replaced the noodles with shredded rice rolls, then gradually replaced the buffalo meat with beef because beef was cheaper than buffalo meat, because the French raised a lot of cows in Ba Vi. Next, Thanh Tri rice rolls were made thicker, similar to today’s pho noodles. There are many other hypotheses, but this hypothesis is agreed by most people.
Researcher Nguyen Ngoc Tien said that Pho appeared around the end of the 19th century, and it is difficult to determine the exact year. Some documents show the presence of Pho around the beginning of the 20th century, such as the book “Industry of the Annamese” in 1908-1909 by Henri Oger, which has a picture of a pho street vendor. The dictionary compiled by the French School of the Far East in the 1920s (published in 1933) clearly defines the word “Pho”, including “Pho Chin” and “Pho Tai”.
Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Tien commented that Pho may have started as a dish for workers at the Red River wharf. It was then developed into a sophisticated dish due to the needs of the middle class in Hanoi and has developed to this day.
What types of Vietnamese Pho are there?
As society develops, the needs and tastes of Pho eaters also change and expand, with more types of pho. Vietnamese Pho is now divided into two lines:
- Pho in broth includes: “Pho bo”, “Pho ga” and “Pho sot vang”.
- Pho in dry includes: “Pho xao”, “Pho chien” and “Pho cuon”.
1. Pho Bo – Beef Pho
Beef Pho has a characteristic flavor that is a harmonious combination of the sweetness of the broth, the rich flavor of the beef, the aroma of spices such as cinnamon, star anise, ginger, and the fresh taste of the accompanying raw vegetables.
Beef Pho broth is usually simmered from beef bones for many hours, creating a natural sweetness and a certain clarity. The pho noodles are soft and chewy, the beef is thinly sliced, blanched or stir-fried, giving a smooth feeling when enjoyed.
Raw vegetables such as bean sprouts, herbs, green onions, and fresh lemon help balance the flavor, creating a delicious, rich, and attractive bowl of beef pho.
2. Pho Ga – Chicken Pho
During the war, the shortage was difficult, and it was impossible to simmer the bones as carefully and elaborately as before. In addition, cows had to be prioritized for pulling power, so beef was not available, so chicken pho was born as an alternative.
Chicken pho has a characteristic flavor that is a harmonious combination of the sweet taste of the broth, the aroma of ginger and grilled onions, along with the rich taste of chicken and soft, chewy pho noodles.
Chicken pho broth is usually simmered from chicken bones, combined with spices such as ginger, grilled onions, cinnamon, star anise and cardamom, creating a sweet, clear and fragrant taste.
Chicken, shredded or cut into bite-sized pieces, brings sweetness, aroma and moderate toughness. When eating, people often add green onions, coriander, pepper, lemon, chili and fish sauce to enhance the flavor and appeal.
3. Pho Sot Vang – Pho with wine sauce
Pho with wine sauce is a unique combination of Vietnamese and French cuisine. The rich taste of stewed beef, the sweetness of the broth, the aroma of spices and the slight sourness of tomatoes create a harmonious, rich, unforgettable whole. This dish is very suitable to enjoy on cold days.
Also made of pho noodles and beef, pho with wine sauce and beef pho have the following main differences: Pho with wine sauce has a thicker, more viscous broth, simmered from beef with wine and spices, while traditional beef pho has a clear, light broth, simmered from beef bones and thinly sliced beef.
Pho with wine sauce has a characteristic flavor that combines traditional pho and the flavor of wine, creating a unique and attractive dish. The beef is soft, sweet, and can have a bit of crunch from the tendons, mixed with a reddish-brown, slightly viscous broth, fragrant with cinnamon, star anise, and cardamom. Soft, chewy pho noodles, combined with herbs, lemon, and chili create a harmonious, rich, and attractive whole.
4. Pho Xao – Stir-fried Pho
Stir-fried Pho basically has beef and green onions like Pho Nuoc. Stir-fried Pho has a thick sauce made from stir-fried beef, eaten with vegetables and dipped in sweet and sour fish sauce.
The flavor of stir-fried Pho is usually a harmonious combination of the sweet, rich taste of beef, the aroma of greens, onions, and especially the characteristic flavor of stir-fried Pho noodles. Stir-fried Pho can have a slightly spicy or sweet and sour taste depending on how you add the accompanying spices.
5. Pho cuon – Pho rolls
“Pho cuon” has a refreshing, rich flavor, a harmonious combination of the sweetness of beef, the freshness of raw vegetables and the sweet and sour taste of the dipping sauce. The rice noodles are chewy and soft, rolled with other ingredients to create an extremely attractive and appealing overall flavor.
Fresh, thin, chewy rice noodles bring a refreshing feeling when enjoyed. The filling is usually stir-fried beef. In addition, shrimp, ham, raw vegetables such as lettuce, herbs, and coriander can also be added, creating a variety of flavors.
The sweet and sour dipping sauce, skillfully mixed, is often salty, sweet, sour, and slightly spicy, helping to enhance the rich flavor of the dish. All of the above ingredients blend together, creating a harmonious, balanced overall flavor, both fresh and rich and attractive.
6. Pho Chien Phong – Fried Pho
The Pho Chien Phong dish has a unique flavor due to the combination of the crispy texture of fried pho noodles and the rich, delicious flavor of the accompanying ingredients such as stir-fried beef, vegetables, and rich, sweet and sour sauce.
The pho noodles are fried until crispy, with a beautiful golden color, creating a crunchy, crispy feeling when eaten, bringing enjoyment to the diner.
Beef is often stir-fried with vegetables such as sweet cabbage, onions, tomatoes, creating a natural, rich sweetness, both soft and fragrant.
The sauce is often sweet and sour, rich, and can be tamarind sauce, soy sauce, or sweet and sour fish sauce, depending on the recipe of each restaurant.
The accompanying vegetables such as cabbage, bean sprouts, onions, tomatoes, etc. not only add flavor but also help the dish to be balanced and refreshing.
The harmonious combination of the above elements creates a dish with a unique flavor, crispy, rich, refreshing, and very attractive.
Types of pho by region in Vietnam
Pho also has changes to suit the culinary culture of each locality and region. For example, in the mountains, pho changes to suit the spices here, typically Lang Son sour pho, Cao Bang duck pho.
7. Pho Chua – Sour pho
“Pho chua” consists of pho noodles served with many types of fillings such as char siu, pork liver, shredded chicken, sweet potatoes, fried onions, roasted peanuts… mixed with sweet and sour sauce.
In addition to Lang Son, “Pho chua” is also available in many other localities, and is also varied with local spices and ingredients. For example, “Pho chua” in Bac Ha is filled with black pork, fried tofu, herbs, peanuts…, while in Lang Son there are more varieties, including pork liver, char siu, roasted duck, pig stomach…
8. Pho vit Cao Bang – Duck Pho
“Pho vit Cao Bang” consists of pho noodles served with bone broth mixed with a little duck roasting water, served with roasted duck, bamboo shoots and chili – specialties of the northern mountainous region.
Duck Pho soup is a familiar breakfast dish for every Cao Bang resident. The duck here is processed first by roasting. When the duck is roasted, the skin is dark brown, shining with an attractive layer of fat, crispy and fragrant, when bitten, you can feel that the meat inside is still juicy, not tough, not dry. The spices are absorbed evenly through each piece of meat.
A bowl of Duck Pho soup with full spices is added with broth (bone broth) and a little duck roasting water, making anyone who enjoys it once remember it forever.
9. Southern Pho
Also traditional pho, through the process of following the artisans to the south, they changed to suit the taste of each southern region.
Southern pho tends to have a sweet taste of sugar, served with more vegetables such as bean sprouts, basil, coriander, thinly sliced onions, along with beef balls, black bean sauce, red bean sauce (sweet chili sauce). Many Vietnamese pho restaurants opened abroad also have a taste similar to southern pho.
Summary
Pho throughout Vietnam has been created by talented hands in unexpected ways, creating memorable culinary quintessence. Associated with the rice civilization and existing for hundreds of years, Vietnamese pho has followed Vietnamese people to all five continents, loved by friends around the world. If you also like Vietnamese Pho, please like and share this article to spread this useful information.
