by Susan Klatz Beal

Created on: April 05, 2009   Last Updated: April 14, 2009

Pho is the national dish of Viet Nam. The correct English pronunciation of this soup is "phir." It is believed that Pho was influenced by both Chinese and French cuisine and that it may have been loosely derived from the French dish known as "pot au feu," or pot of fire which is essentially a mixture of beef, vegetables and seasonings in a broth. Pho is to Vietnam what meat loaf and mashed potatoes may be to the United States.

ORIGINS

The origins of Pho only date back about 100 years in Northern Vietnam where it first existed. At that time, the dish consisted of little more than a boiled beef broth with noodles. The first Pho restaurant opened in Hanoi in the 1920's. Before that, the only way that people could get Pho was by purchasing it from vendors who sold it from large boxes. Pho didn't become popular in South Vietnam until about 1954.

EVOLUTION

Over the course of many decades, it has evolved into much more, ultimately becoming the dish that it is now. Because of the scarcity of beef during the Viet Nam war, it became necessary to create a pork version. Other versions also exist, including a vegetarian one which is made from a vegetable broth, a chicken one, or a seafood one. These other versions are more recent innovations that were introduced into the south after 1954 .

BROTH AND NOODLES

The typical broth for Pho is made by simmering beef, oxtail, flank steak and sometimes chicken. The broth is the most important part of Pho, and to get the best flavor and aroma, the broth is simmered for many hours before it is ready to be served with the garnishes and additional meat and noodles. Charred onions and spices are added to the broth. The typical seasonings are toasted Saigon cinnamon and toasted star anise, charred ginger and onions, cloves, and occasionally black cardamom pods is used.

The noodles used for Pho are typically cut from wide sheets of rice noodles. Fresh noodles don't keep well and very expensive to buy. They tend to have an al dente chewy texture, so much of the time, rice sticks (dried rice noodles,) are used in place of fresh.

ASSEMBLING THE BOWL

The way Pho is created is by first filling the bowl so that it is 1/4 full with noodles. Then, the cooked flank steak and thin slices of raw meat (either raw sirloin or raw round steak,) are placed on top of the noodles. Garnishes are placed on top of the meat. The garnishes usually consist of minced scallions, thinly sliced onions and chopped cilantro. Once everything is layered in the bowl, a hot seasoned

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