One of the most popular dishes in Vietnam, pho has quite a prominent place in Vietnamese culture. How to cook as well as to enjoy pho is a kind of art itself
Not much is certain about the origin of pho. Most theories agree that pho came from Nam Dinh province, where has a village of pho cooks. However, pho is often associated with Hanoi and Hanoi’s pho is considered authentic as well as the best by most connoisseurs. The first pho sellers appeared around 1925 in Hanoi. The popularity of the dish increased and it became one of the most famous specialties of Vietnam.
Originally, the ingredients of pho include pho noodles (a kind of noodles made from unfermented rice), broth flavoured with spices, and beef (prepared according to the customer’s wish). The spices used for pho’s broth are cinnamon, anis, ginger and cardamom. They bring pho its characteristic flavour and without any of them, the dish is incomplete. Other seasonings like lime juice, chili, pepper, garlic in vinegar and aromatic vegetables are ready on the tables and added by the eaters themselves depending on their personal taste.
Over the time, there have been various experiments in the way pho is cooked. Beef is substituted by chicken or pork. Unconventional seasonings like sesame oil, soy sauce or five-spice powder are tried. However, such changes are usually not welcome and gourmets just accept beef pho with traditional spices and have some toleration for chicken pho.
To the ardent pho lovers, cooking as well as enjoying pho is an art. A bowl of pho should be a harmony of carefully prepared ingredients in which everything is just enough. The pho noodles should be supple, the beef should be tender and the steaming hot broth should be well-seasoned so that the flavours of the spices blend well together. To properly appreciate such deliciousness of a bowl of good pho, one should not add too much extra seasonings and should take time to “feel” what one is eating. It is believed that pho doesn’t go with any drink, except perhaps a small cup of rice wine. Such pho lovers are extremely picky in choosing pho shops but they will be loyal till death to the shops that satisfy them.
Pho is a part of day-to-day Vietnamese city life. Almost everyone regardless of social position goes to pho shops. It is convenient, suitable for anytime of the day, affordable as well as enjoyable. Moreover, a simply and casually furnished pho shop is a place for relaxing as well as casual meetings where people wind down and enjoy themselves no matter who they are. There is a curious prejudice against pho sold in “grand” places probably because of the lack of that special atmosphere there. Last but not least, pho goes into slang and proverbs of city dwellers and famous writers of Vietnam like Nguyen Tuan and Thach Lam have written about it enthusiastically as well as lyrically, which proves its immense popularity.
Reference:
Vu Bang, “Specialties of Hanoi”, Van Hoc Publisher
