What is Pho?

Phở

Traditionally, pho is prepared by simmering a broth made with beef bones, ginger, onions, and other spices over low heat for several hours.  Rice noodles, known as “banh pho,” are then added, as well as herbs like cilantro or basil. Finally, thinly sliced beef or chicken is incorporated and cooked in the hot broth.  Some people like to top it with bean sprouts, vegetables, chili pepper, or lime.  While most commonly eaten during the colder months, many restaurants serve this Vietnamese soup year round.

Pho differs throughout Vietnam and in other parts of the world, depending on the broth’s flavor, noodle size, and ingredients added to the finished product. 

Like many other famous comfort foods in various cuisines, phở was originally only cooked in the home.  Gradually, as Vietnam became industrialized and people were less able to make time-intensive dishes on their own, phở-making matriarchs started selling their phở to workers who did not have the time or relatives to cook their own phở.

Bún thịt nướng

Bún thịt nướng, rice noodles with grilled meat also is a popular Vietnamese dish of cold rice-vermicelli noodle topped with grilled pork, fresh herbs like basil and mint, fresh salad, bean sprouts, and spring rolls. The dish is dressed in fish sauce.  The dish is topped with roasted peanuts, Vietnamese pickled carrots, grilled garlic pork sausage or grilled prawns. Bún thịt nướng is popular in all regions of Vietnam, except for in Hanoi, where a related dish, bún chả, is served.