Pho, or Phở written in Vietnamese characters and pronounced as a sort of “Fh”, is one of the most common and well-known specialties of the delicious Vietnamese cuisine.
Looking for some information on the origin of the dish, you often read the name of the village Vân Cù, around hundred kilometers from Hanoi, considered a possible birthplace of the soup. The most probable hypothesis is that the Pho was born from the mix of the Vietnamese culture with the French one (and with some Chinese influence) around the beginning of the XX century. The first to sell the noodles dish were the cooks in their “mobile kitchens”, made up of a pole with the cauldron hanging on one side and a basket with noodles and the other ingredients on the other side, called gánh phở and still used today. The first restaurants to sell Pho opened at the beginning of the 20th century in Hanoi. For political reasons in 1954 millions of Vietnamese had to leave the North heading South of the country, making their culinary specialty famous in the rest of the country.
A succulent soup of rice noodles which is one of the best introductions to street food in the country, perfect for lunch but also excellent for breakfast! The Pho can be beef (phở bò) or chicken (phở gà).
The broth is cooked by boiling bones of beef or chicken, according to the recipe, then they add star anise, cloves, cardamom, ginger, onions and various spices. All left on the fire for hours in the cauldrons that are you can see in the stalls serving delicious street food in Vietnam.
The white and soft rice noodles used are called Banh Pho (Bánh Phở), with a characteristic flat shape. Once cooked they become elastic and almost transparent, ready to be dipped and served in the bowl filled with the tasty broth.
On the table where you will get your Pho you will certainly find a basket of garnishes and condiments to add to the soup such as bean sprouts, scallions, onions, coriander, Thai basil, lime, chilies, black pepper and fish sauce.
Pho, although born in the North of Vietnam, is easy to find anywhere in the country and other Asian countries, Vietnamese cuisine is becoming popular all over the world. You can eat it at an cheap street stall or in a more luxurious restaurant.
Grab the chopsticks and the spoon and taste the specialty, start from the broth and add to taste the garnishes you find in the basket. Adjust the taste by squeezing the lime and pepper, the fish sauce is used to flavor the dish as if it were salt.
Do not miss this tasty dish during a trip to Vietnam or to one of the Vietnamese restaurants around the world.
