Phở bò

History and Regional Versions

Phở bò is a dish consisting of broth and phở noodles that originated in the Red River Delta region (especially in Nam Dinh and Hanoi) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries during the French colonial period. Northern chefs created phở by synthesizing the best of three extremely popular cuisines at the time: Vietnamese, French, and Chinese.

While the purely Vietnamese aspect is evident in the presentation of phở, such as the fresh phở noodles representing the rice-farming civilization, the broth is a fusion of French and Chinese cuisines. It incorporates the simmering of beef bone marrow from the French-style beef stew called pot-au-feu and the use of roasted spices like star anise (hoa hồi), cardamom (bạch đậu khấu), and cinnamon (quế) from the Chinese to clarify the broth and remove the greasy smell of beef.

In the 1950s, the division of Vietnam led to a mass migration, bringing phở south of the 17th parallel. In the South, the dish was adapted to regional tastes: the broth became sweeter, the phở noodles were cut thinner and chewier (sometimes small vermicelli noodles called hủ tiếu were used as a substitute), and the accompaniments expanded to include hoisin sauce (tương đen), chili sauce, chili oil (tương sa tế), Thai basil (rau quế), sawtooth coriander (ngò gai), and bean sprouts. Furthermore, licorice root (cam thảo), used to add a sweet aftertaste to the Southern phở seasoning, was rejected by Northern chefs.

After the Viet Nam war in 1975, another large-scale migration occurred, but this time it took Vietnamese people abroad, particularly to Western countries. There, beef bones were more abundant and cheaper, and the bones were much larger than those of cattle raised in Vietnam, resulting in a higher marrow content and a richer, more flavorful phở broth. Additionally, dried phở noodles are used due to the scarcity of fresh phở noodle factories.

In short, the Northern version of phở (known as phở bắc) favors a light broth, while the Southern version (known as phở nam) favors a rich, savory flavor, and the overseas version (called phở Việt kiều) favors a rich broth and flavorful meat.

Thìa Gỗ follows the Southern version of phở, but with two major differences: (1) retaining the Northern-style phở noodles with fresh, wide, thin, and soft noodles that melt in the mouth, and (2) using beef bones and beef raised in the West, as in the overseas Vietnamese phở version.

How to Prepare

First, the beef bones are soaked in brine, scrubbed, and blanched several times to remove blood and impurities before simmering. The beef bones are then simmered slowly and continuously for at least 8 hours to create the phở broth. The broth is seasoned in the final hours of simmering with roasted ginger, bruised roasted onions, and a roasted spice blend of cinnamon (quế), star anise (hoa hồi), cardamom (thảo quả), coriander seeds (hạt ngò), fennel (tiểu hồi), and licorice roots (cam thảo).

When serving phở, the chef quickly dips the fresh phở noodles (bánh phở) into boiling water to soften them, then places them in a bowl. Sliced ​​beef (rare, brisket, or ribs) is arranged on top along with a mixture of chopped scallions and sawtooth coriander (ngò gai). The boiling broth is ladled directly over the meat, quickly cooking the raw slices and releasing the volatile oils of the scallions.

How to Eat

If you prefer to enjoy the mix of broth and beef, you can customize your bowl of phở by squeezing lime juice, adding chili, tearing up Thai basil (rau quế), and adding bean sprouts to the broth. Then, add hoisin sauce (tương đen) and chili oil (tương sa tế) to the phở to enjoy.

If you prefer to enjoy the meat more, you should pour the hoisin sauce (tương đen) and chili oil (tương sa tế) into a separate dish. Then, you can pick up the beef and dip it into a small dish containing a mixture of hoisin sauce (tương đen) and chili oil (tương sa tế), eating it alternately with each chopstickful of phở noodles and hot broth.