Phở

"Phở" (pronounced|fɤ̂ Audio|Pho.ogg|listen in Vietnamese; in English, written pho and typically pron-en|ˈfʌ ["pho", Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, Draft entry, Mar. 2006; accessed 2008-04-11] ) is a traditional Vietnamese rice-noodle soup dish.

Ingredients and preparation

"Phở" is served as a bowl of white rice noodles in clear beef broth, with thin cuts of beef (steak, fatty flank, lean flank, brisket). Variations featuring tendon, tripe, meatballs, chicken leg, chicken breast, or other chicken organs (heart, liver, tongue,Fact|date=June 2008 etc.) are also available. 'With the lot' (made with chicken broth and all or most of the shop's chicken and cattle offering, including chicken hearts and livers and beef tripe and tendons) is generally rendered 'tai pin lu' and, in Anglophonic countries, often left translated. Blood jelly is sometimes included in tai pin lu and other varieties.

Broth

The broth is generally made by simmering beef (and sometimes chicken) bones, oxtails, flank steak, charred onion, and spices, taking several hours to prepare. Seasonings include Saigon cinnamon , star anise, charred ginger, cloves, and sometimes black cardamom pods [cite web
title=http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/bookshelf/articles/pho_SJM.htm
url=http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/bookshelf/articles/pho_SJM.htm] .

Noodles

The noodles, called "bánh phở" in Vietnamese, are traditionally cut from wide sheets of fresh rice noodles similar to Chinese "Shahe fen", although dried noodles (also called "rice sticks") may also be used.

Garnishes

The dish is garnished with ingredients such as green onions, white onions, coriander leaves (cilantro), "ngò gai" ( culantro, or long coriander), Thai basil , lemon or lime wedges, and bean sprouts. The last five items are usually provided on a separate plate, which allows customers to adjust the soup's flavor as they like. Some sauces such as hoisin sauce, fish sauce, and the Thai hot sauce Sriracha, are popular additions as well. The herb "ngò ôm" ("Limnophila aromatica") is sometimes added as well.

For the "phở" connoisseur, other garnishes which may be ordered on the side include "hành trần" (the white "bulb" portion of scallions, blanched in boiling broth) and "hành giấm" (sliced white onions with a dash of vinegar). These are only brought to the table when specifically requested, as opposed to the general platter of greens and lime wedges. The diner typically squeezes a few drops of lime juice onto the vinegared onion slices before eating them. The "hành trần" and "hành giấm", when eaten with the beef slices, are believed to cut the fattiness and balance the strong beef aroma that some find overpowering.

Origins and regional differences

"Phở" originated in northern Vietnam and spread to southern and central Vietnam in the mid-1950s, after the defeat of the French and the eventual partitioning of the country. It is likely that "phở" came into being around 1910-1912, early enough in the new century. The communist government of North Vietnam forcibly closed many private "phở" businesses in the 1950s, opening government-run eateries in their place. Northern Vietnamese fleeing communist rule for South Vietnam introduced "phở" to their southern counterparts. Unlike in Hanoi in North Vietnam, the "phở" business flourished in South Vietnam, especially Saigon.Fact|date=May 2007

There are conflicting beliefs as to how "phở" came to be. Some believe it originated from French methods used in bouillon or consommé cooking. Oxen were valued work animals and were rarely eaten, but the arrival of the French had probably prompted servants to prepare a dish that suited the French palate. It is even said that "phở", or at least the etymological derivation of that name for the dish, came from the French beef stew dish "pot-au-feu", with "phở" being a Vietnamization of the word "". The broth for "pot-au-feu", as it is for "phở", is prepared with a "bouquet garni" containing spices such as cloves and black pepper. Another word for "phở", used in Vietnam while Chinese was still the national written language, is "hà phấn" (; Cantonese: ho4 fan2);Fact|date=October 2007 the Chinese characters are the equivalent of the Chinese "he fen", which comes from "Shahe fen" (沙河粉), the original name for the rice noodles originating in the town of Shahe, Guangdong.

Others believe that "phở" possible origins more likely lie in China. China had ruled over Vietnam for over a millennium and greatly influenced Vietnamese culture, including cuisine. Cooking ingredients used in "phở", such as spices also seen in Chinese cooking (see five-spice powder and red cooking), as well as the use of rice noodles, are all Chinese influences.

With the arrival of anti-communist Vietnamese exiles and refugees (that is, hailing from South Vietnam) in the post-Vietnam War period, "phở" was also gradually introduced to Western countries, especially to France and the United States.There are also many "phở" restaurants in Australia and Canada, as these countries also received many Vietnamese refugees and immigrants. Vietnamese immigrants also brought "phở" noodles to the former Soviet bloc countries, including Russia, Poland and the Czech Republic.

There are several regional variants of phở in Vietnam, particularly divided between northern (Hanoi, called "phở bắc" or "northern "phở"; or phở Hà Nội), central (Huế)Fact|date=May 2007, and southern (Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon). One regional "phở" may be sweeter, and another variation may emphasize a bolder and spicier flavorFact|date=May 2007. "Northern phở" tends to use somewhat wider noodles and green onions . ^{[http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_sleepy/490702450/in/set-72157600206910753/ photo 1] [http://www.flickr.com/photos/riverdaleto/108951926/ photo 2]} On the other hand, southern Vietnamese generally use thinner noodleshttp://ninecooks.typepad.com/perfectpantry/2007/01/banh_pho.html (approximately the width of pad Thai or linguine noodles), and add bean sprouts and a greater variety of fresh herbs to their "phở" instead.

Naming conventions for restaurants

cleanup-rewrite|2=sectionA popular naming convention for "phở" restaurants in some localities seems to be placing a number in the name (e.g. Phở 24, whose name refers to the use of 24 ingredients, and the 24 hours required to prepare the broth). [cite web|title=http://www.pho24.com.vn/index.php|url=http://www.pho24.com.vn/index.php|accessdate=2008-01-14] There are four differing stories as to how this practice came about:

*The restaurant was opened in the year indicated in the name.
*The owner of the restaurant was a restaurateur in Vietnam before immigrating, and their restaurant was located on that street number.
*Much in the same way that one would see multiple burger restaurants with a number after them (e.g., John's #2), the number is simply present to prevent duplication in naming.
*According to the owner of a "phở" restaurant in Maryland, the number is one that is considered "lucky" by the owner.Additionally, some restaurant names are unintentional (or in some cases, intentional) forms of word play on "phở" and "fuck", as in "Phở Kim Long", "What the Phở?" [cite web
url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3190/is_7_38/ai_113682706
title=What the pho? - Name Of The Week
publisher=Nation's Restaurant News
author=Paul King
date=2004-02-16] [cite web
url=http://www.ocvoice.com/OC_VOICE/Food.html
title=What the Pho?
publisher=The Orange Coast Voice
author=Michael Lu
date=2006-11-01] and even "Phở King". [ [http://www.yelp.com/biz/s-VATOFLJeb4nAJC2W-VPw Pho King - East Oakland - Oakland, CA ] ] [ [http://www.flickr.com/photos/periodicdesign/306600989/ PHO KING - Del Ray, VA sur Flickr : partage de photos ! ] ] [ [http://www.pwba.org/Members/tvo/pho-king-restaurant Pho King Restaurant — Potomac West Business Association ] ]

Cultural practices

"Phở" can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Vietnamese "phở" restaurants usually retain the cultural practice of not delivering the bill to a customer's table, since it is considered rude - in the Vietnamese culture, it is seen as a way of trying to rush the customer out the door.

Most tables usually have a numbering system and have chopsticks, spoons and condiment dispensers. Hot sauce and hoisin sauce are also available for those that like to dip their meat in them.

tyles of "phở"

The most common variety of "phở" is a beef "phở", called "phở bò" . Some Vietnamese restaurants have begun catering to non-Vietnamese customers by opening in other areas. Other cultures, such as the Korean culture, have also adapted Pho and provide a larger amount of onions as a side that is usually mixed with Sriracha sauce and Hoisin Sauce. Adapting to local tastes and diets, some Vietnamese restaurants in the United States have also started making chicken-based "phở", called "phở gà", or phở without visible pieces of meat (called "phở rau"), or even vegetarian "phở" (called "phở chay") "Phở rau" ("rau" literally meaning "leafy greens," but implying vegetables) may use a meat-based broth, while "phở chay" (literally "Buddhist vegetarian "phở") features a broth that is not made from meat. The time it takes to make the non meat-based broth is much shorter and less tedious however has a different and lighter broth taste. ^{[http://www.elliemay.com/soups/VegetarianPho.html recipe]} , in addition to the traditional beef noodle soup. Seafood-based "phở" is also commonly available. Another variation of "phở" involves using egg noodles instead of rice noodles, which was based in Northern Vietnam. There are also Korean, Thai, and Lao variants of "phở" available. Lao "phở" ("feu") is usually topped with fried garlic.

"Phở tái lăn" ("phở" with medium-cooked beef)

Another style of "phở" which is rare even among Vietnamese is "phở tái lăn" , served with beef only; the herbs added may vary. Thin slices of beef are char-fried in a wok; the chef puts some oil into the wok and tilts it so that the oil will catch fire and the beef will be fried inside-out (normally when stir-fried, the meat does not have direct contact with fire but with the wok instead). In some aspects, this style of "phở" is better even for Vietnamese and more suitable for the taste of foreigners who are not accustomed to eating medium-rare beef (raw beef slices are lightly cooked in the hot broth in each individual's bowl).

ee also

*Beef noodle soup
*Vietnamese cuisine
*Rice noodles
*Shahe fen

References

External links

* Lam, Andrew. "Pho," "All Things Considered", National Public Radio, September 2, 1999 [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1058048 Surprising locations to find "pho"]
* Norris, Michele. "From Pho to Fast Food, an Immigrant's Tale," "All Things Considered", National Public Radio, February 6, 2007 [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7224329 Biography of Bich Minh Nguyen]
* Prakash, Snigdha. "Pho Sells," "Morning Edition", National Public Radio, June 3, 2002. [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1144354 "Campbell" soup markets "pho"]
* Sullivan, Michael. "Vietnamese Pho Chain Takes on U.S. Competition," "Morning Edition", National Public Radio, March 20, 2007. [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=8993340 Introduction of chain restaurant in the USA]