Ingredients of Pho
Pho may look like vermicelli noodles and meat in a clear broth, but much detailed labour goes into the making of a good bowl of pho.
The soup broth is best prepared with beef marrow and knuckle bones. These can be easily found at any Asian grocer. In order to achieve a clear broth, it is necessary to parboil and rinse the bones in order to decrease the amount of residue in the broth.
In addition to beef bone, charred onion and ginger are also added to the soup base. The slightly charred flavour is what distinguishes the pho taste from many other asian soups. Additionally, star anise, a spice that is integral to Chinese cuisine, is also added and provides pho with an aromatic aftertaste. Finally, a bit of sugar, fish sauce, as well as whole cloves are added; all of these combine and simmer for approximately three hours to give the soup a rich, yet simultaneously light, taste.
As far as soup contents go - the vermicelli noodles and any combination of thinly sliced raw beef, beef tendon, beef flank, tripe, beef balls (and the list goes on), can be added according to preference. The pho noodle is a flat, white, rice-based noodle that, when cooked correctly, retains a tiny bit of chewiness.
Finally, pho is garnished with chopped scallion and cilantro (essential to Vietnamese cuisine!), freshly sliced onion, basil, and bean sprouts. All restaurants will offer bottles of hoisin and chili sauce which are popular among many pho eaters. The great thing about hoisin sauce is that it has the magical capabilities of turning any sub-par bowl of pho into an edible and mediocre one. Conversely, an amazing bowl of pho usually requires little to no additional flavouring!
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