More than a bowl of noodles, “pho” is history
Pho bo (beef noodle), the original dish served with two poached eggs (Photo VNA)
There are many theories regarding its origin. Some
say it started as a variation on pot-au-feu, a French beef stew dish. Others
believe it’s the heir to a Chinese beef noodle soup or to a traditional
Vietnamese dish of noodles with buffalo meat. What is certain is that “pho”,
a simple yet deceptively complex dish of noodles served with beef or chicken in
a hot bowl of broth, has become Vietnam’s pride on the world map of cuisine.
Though its origins are disputed, historians
believe “pho” was first made popular in Hanoi and Nam Dinh,
two major northern cities, during the French colonial period. And we know
that “pho” wasn’t invented in a restaurant. It began life on the side
of the road, on the shoulders of street vendors who wandered the city with a
big pot of both, always kept hot and ready with their mobile stoves. It was
reinvented many times by vendors and home cooks with ingredients that were
available to even the poorest, and it was shaped by the country’s turbulent
Until the 19th century, Vietnam was
still largely an agricultural country. Cows were raised not as a source of food
but to help out with land cultivation and rice farming. In order to protect the
animals’ utility as farming aides, slaughtering them for meat was strictly
forbidden and perpetrators were heavily punished if caught. At the beginning of
the country’s French colonial period, consuming beef was a foreign practice.
Locals either couldn’t afford it or had no desire to try it.
By the 20th century, attitudes towards beef
had changed, as people flocked to cities where they worked in offices and
factories instead of fields. “Pho” became popular as successful
street vendors opened their stores in big cities across the country. As if
dictated by some rule, most stores are named after their founders in a single
word, such as “Pho Hien”, “Pho Thin” or “Pho Co”.
Though beef was once the most distinctive aspect
of the dish, the most critical aspect is the broth. It’s always the first thing
people taste when they tuck into a bowl. A good broth must be clear. It should
carry the scent of herbs and spices such as cinnamon, cardamon, coriander
seeds, cloves, star anise, onion and pepper as well as the taste of cow bones. Everything
should be boiled for about six hours for all of the flavours to blend.
When it comes to the broth, it’s almost love or
hate at first taste. A good broth means the cook knows what he’s doing and
takes the time and effort to get the dish right. During difficult
times, “pho” has been served without meat. But the broth must always
remain carefully prepared and richly flavourful. If you’re ever looking for an
excellent bowl of “pho”, look for a place where people finish the broth
when they’re done with the noodles and beef.
Vietnamese people eat “pho” all the
time: for breakfast, lunch, dinner and as a late-night snack. It’s variable and
always satisfying even though there are only two choices when it comes to the
meat: chicken or beef.
Since the original “pho” was made with
beef, some die-hard fans insist there is no other way to eat it. But “pho” with
chicken has an interesting story of its own. In early days of “pho”, beef
was a rarity and there wasn’t enough to go around every day of the week. In the
old days, “pho” stores closed on Mondays and Fridays because there
was no supply of beef. People got creative, however, and invented “pho” with
“Pho” with beef has a strong flavour from
the cow bones. “Pho” with chicken has a gentler aroma and may come with
fatty or lean chicken. Each has their own merits. Ultimately, only personal
preference can settle the question of which is superior. But why choose when
you can have both?
Not unlike a super hero, “pho” comes
with sidekicks. Two of the foods people love to eat with “pho” are
eggs and Chinese crullers (oil sticks).
Eggs are poached in boiling hot water and you
can choose between rare, medium and well-done; just make sure you don’t break
them. Crullers should be crunchy and crispy—return them if they are not. They
can be eaten separately from your “pho” but many, including yours
truly, like to dip them in the broth for a mix between crunchiness and a soft,
brothy taste. Take care you don’t dip too many because these sticks are oily
and may ruin the broth.
Today, there are more expensive variations and
adaptations of the dish, with ingredients like foie
gras, Kobe and Wagyu beef, which may cost up to 50-100 USD a bowl.
But even after 200 years, one of the best places to have it is still on the side
of the street. Nothing beats the chilling wind of winter better than a hot,
street-side bowl of “pho” bought for 2 USD.
“Pho” can be found everywhere and can be
had anywhere: in a train cruising across the country, in a boat among a
bustling floating market of the Mekong Delta and on the pavement of a busy
city. It remains a simple and widely affordable dish that carries both the
history and identity of the people that create it. - VNA