Even if you have never been to Vietnam before, chances are you've tried the national dish, pho – Vietnamese rice noodles in clear soup, with slices of beef.
The delightful combination of spices, herbs, meat broth, and lime is loved not just in Vietnam, but all over the world.
Originating from the northern part of Vietnam, it has become popular throughout the whole country, and many variations have emerged as it has been adapted to local tastes.
Highlights
- Pho originated in northern Vietnam
- It began as a commoner's food
- Making pho is not as simple as the dish looks, for making the broth involves many ingredients
- Pho noodles of southern Vietnam are sweeter and have more garnish than northern Vietnam's
- Although pho originated in the north, southern-style pho is internationally better-known
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My husband and I are planning a 3 week…
Alisa was a great listener to all the things we wanted to incorporate into our trip. We discussed everything throughly, and when I had questions, she had answers the next day. I really appreciate her responsiveness and detail with me. I feel like we are in the best hands with Alisa and Asia Highlights. More
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Very great experience our driver D was…
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Excellent guide in Siem Reap
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Asia Highlights trip to Thailand
Our first tour guide in Bangkok, Marie, was great to tour around with. She was extremely friendly and knowledgeable and spoke wonderful English. Our next stop in Chang Mai we were greeted by our new tour guide, Rafael. He too was extremely friendly and knowledgeable and spoke wonderful English. He made it feel as if we were traveling around with a long time friend. Every time we arrived at a new destination, we were greeted at the airport by someone with a sign with our name making our travels easy. I would definitely recommend Asia Highlights to anyone looking for a well planned trip of a lifetime! More
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Thailand
We loved Chiang Mai and Susie did a great job showing us several temples, taking many pictures of us with the elephants at the sanctuary (a definite highlight of the entire trip!), and making sure we were well fed, which became a running joke between us.We had a very relaxing few days in Phuket enjoying the beautiful beaches. Kai was great, answering all of our questions and giving us a nice tour of the old town. The all-day speedboat tour of the Phi Phi islands started off a little shaky as the sea was quite rough so if you’re at all uncomfortable bouncing around in a speedboat, you might want to skip that tour. Things did calm down as the day went on and some of the areas they took us to for swimming, snorkeling, etc were really beautiful. A couple of the islands were too crowded with people. More
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Thank you Alisa for helping us plan a…
Thank you Alisa for helping us plan a wonderful trip to Thailand. We had a great time. The tour guides were wonderful as were the hotels you booked for us. We will definitely contact you to plan our next trip More
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Very well organized
Very well organized. Our tour guide, Ying, was amazing! She had full knowledge of every location we visited and made sure our itinerary was fulfilled as expected. She was extremely helpful for our airport experiences, and made sure we arrived at an appropriate time. More
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Family trip to Thailand
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Ingredients and Preparation of Pho
The main ingredients of pho are flat rice noodles, broth, and thin cuts of beef. There are also variations which include beef tripe, meat balls, or chicken.
Even though from its outward appearance, pho looks like a simple meal, preparing it is not a simple task. Its broth is clear, but full of flavor due to the many ingredients that go into making it.
The broth is made by simmering beef bones, oxtails, flank steak, charred onion, and spices. For chicken pho, the broth is made by simmering chicken meat and bones.
What gives pho its distinctive taste is actually its spices, which commonly include Saigon cinnamon, star anise, roasted ginger, roasted onion, black cardamom, coriander seed, fennel seed, and cloves.
These spices are wrapped inside cheese cloth and simmered for several hours. Using the cheese bag means that the spices can be taken out easily once the dish is done. The top of the broth is skimmed off, to make it clearer. Finally, fish sauce is added.
Pho is served with various garnishes such as green onions, Thai basil, chili peppers, lime, bean sprouts, and coriander leaves. Dipping sauce that commonly accompanies pho is fish sauce, hoisin sauce, chili oil, and hot chili sauce.
History and Origin of Pho
The exact history and origin of pho is highly disputed. The modern form of the dish only emerged in the early 20th century in northern Vietnam. Before there were other similar dishes.
Traditionally, Vietnamese consume more pork and chicken. With French presence and the demand for beef, however, beef became more common and was incorporated into Vietnamese cooking.
It is said that in its beginnings, pho was popular with Chinese workers from Yunnan and Guangdong because it was similar to food from their homeland. Pho was originally sold at dawn and dusk by street vendors, carrying poles on their shoulders. Two fixed pho stands were first opened in Hanoi.
Regional Variations of Pho
There are many variations of pho. The most basic distinction is between northern-style and southern-style pho.
Though the dish originated in northern Vietnam, when in 1954 Vietnam was divided into communist North Vietnam and non-communist South Vietnam, many people from the north migrated to the south, bringing the pho culture with them.
Later on, after the Fall of Saigon in 1975 which marked the end of the Vietnam War, masses of southern Vietnamese fled the country seeking refuge in other countries. This was how the southern-style pho took off to many corners of the world, most notably the USA.
The northern-style pho is characterized by more savory broth, wider noodles, and green onions. Southern-style pho is distinguished by its many garnishes and sauces including bean sprouts, Thai basil, coriander, and hoisin sauce.
Ingredients | Northern Pho (phở bắc) | Southern Pho (phở Sài Gòn) |
---|---|---|
Broth | more savory broth | sweeter broth |
Noodles | wider noodles | thinner noodles |
Meat | chicken or minced beef | various parts and forms of beef including sliced rare beef, bone marrow, tendon, fatty flank, briskets and meatballs |
Garnishes | green onion, less garnishes | bean sprouts, Thai basil, coriander |
Sauces | Vinegar, fish sauce, and chili sauce | Lime, hoisin sauce, chili sauce, and fresh chilis |
How to Eat Pho
You eat pho with chopsticks. While in some western cultures it is considered rude to eat soup by sipping the bowl, it is okay to sip when you're eating pho. It is even okay to slurp, even encouraged, as this is seen as a compliment, that the dish tastes delicious.
Before adding the condiments, sip and savor the rich taste of the broth. Then if you like, you can season to taste using the condiments provided, such as fish sauce, hoisin sauce, or chili sauce.
In northern Vietnam, pho usually already has greens and herbs incorporated into the soup, while in southern Vietnam, the garnishes are usually served separately, to be added yourself.
Popular Pho Street Restaurants or Stalls
Pho 24 is a very popular pho noodle franchise you can find not only all over Vietnam, but in other countries as well, including the USA and Australia.
If you are looking for something more local, however, you can go to Pho Hoa in Ho Chi Minh City, which has been run by successive generations of the same family, and where the broth recipe remains a family secret.
Pho 2000 is another famous place you can try in Ho Chi Minh City. Bill Clinton ate his first bowl of pho during a state visit in the year 2000 and it was said he enjoyed the dish so much that he ordered a second bowl.
Pho 2000 is near Ben Thanh Market, so before or after eating, you can take the opportunity to explore the local market.
Or, if you are in Hanoi, the Old Quarter is an excellent place for pho, with many different venues. One of the most popular is Pho 10 on 10 Ly Quoc Su. Not only is the taste amazing, but they also serve very quickly and the prices are cheap.
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