LogiGear

Vietnam ViewWhat the Pho?A look into Vietnam’s Signature Dish22Pho [fuh] noun - a Vietnamese soup made of beef or chicken stock with rice noodles and thinslices of beef or chicken.By Brian Letwin, LogiGear CorporationPho is a soup made from simple ingredients:Beef, marrow-rich beef bones, star anise, roastedginger, roasted onion, black cardamom, corianderseed, fennel seed and clove. The simplicityof the dish, along with the flavor, contributesto pho’s widespread appeal.Vietnam draws thousands of foodies eachyear who are eager to explore the country’slarge selection of fresh and simplefood. The options are nearly endless, and it’s noexaggeration to say one would need to invest afew years in order to sample everything.Vietnamese cuisine in general has clear regionaldistinctions. Hanoi is famous for xoi xeo, the dishwith sticky rice, fried onions, and ground mungbeans. Hue features a plethora of gelatinizedrice and tapas style dishes, and Hoi An is knownfor cau lau, a soup with noodles made from theashes of local trees. But there’s one Vietnamesesoup dish that transcends not just regional geography,but has become popular all over the world– pho.Pho is a relatively recent food creation, makingits first appearance in a Hanoi textile market atthe turn of the 20th century. But the dish hascome a long way from its regional beginningsand today, pho is available everywhere —on thestreet, in small, family run restaurants, and evenin franchise-style restaurants.There’s no denying that the broth is the mostimportant element of Vietnamese pho. It is infact the key to a successful bowl of pho. Oncethe broth is ready, it is served with a generousportion of rice noodles and garnishes such asgreen onions, white onions, Thai basil, fresh chilipeppers, lemon or lime wedges, bean sproutsand coriander or cilantro. Fish sauce, hoisinsauce and chili sauce are all common options foradding more flavor to the broth.Pho lovers judge a bowl served to them in a restaurantby sipping the broth first without puttingin any seasoning or garnishes, but the Vietnamesealways say that the best pho you will evertaste is the one cooked by your own mother.While it’s not uncommon to see women startingthe broth before sunrise to accommodate theimpending breakfast rush—though pho can beeaten at any time of day— many young adults saytheir own mothers have given up making phobecause of the time needed to prepare thebroth. Now if they want pho, they go out to fulfilltheir craving for the dish. Thanks to its popularity,it’s not difficult enjoy a delicious bowl of souprain or shine, day or night. ■W W W . L O G I G E A R M A G A Z I N E . C O M F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3 ǀ V O L V I I ǀ I S S U E 1