History of Pho
Even though pho is the most well-known and most distinctly Vietnamese dish, its exact origins remain contested. One reliable source, a gentleman by the name of Nguyen Dinh Rao who heads the Hanoi UNESCO Gastronomy Club, spoke to an audience at a heritage conference regarding this issue. It is believed that pho first came into existence in the early 20th century in Southern region of Nam Dinh during an industrial textile boom. The ingredients in pho reflect both the geographical area and socioeconomic context in which it came from. Rao explains that "the bouillon, made of bone and prawn, rich in amino-acid and sweetly perfumed, is inherited directly from the old coastal roots of our civiliation. Regarding popular fresh and soft rice noodles, called banh pho, cooked in vapor, they are definitely from Vietnam. Finally, to satisfy a modernized demand and to meet the taste of European people, they addbeef among other ingredients, only once per year, in occasion of village festivals... Pho combines a cultural interference and local ingredients, the traditional flavour blending with European taste." Pho has since spread to other parts of Vietnam where it has undergone transformations in ingredients and subsequently taste; some regions make a sweeter broth, whereas others prefer one with more spices. In any case, pho remains a popular dish in Vietnam and abroad.
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