Pho is so much more than soup. Even so, to some Canadians, they look at pho and that might be all they see. The story of pho is so very interesting, coming from decades of Vietnamese history and traversing the globe in the post-Vietnam War era. Perhaps more than any other Vietnamese dish, pho is a constant in the lives of the Vietnamese. It can be customized according to the ingredients available, delivering some of the most amazing aromas and tastes in the world.
Going back some fifty years or so, how Vietnamese pho came to mean so much to North Americans, it can all be traced back to the Vietnam War. As the war reached its conclusion, Vietnamese families left the company and immigrated to regions all over the world. The Vietnamese moved internationally everywhere from Canada to the United States, Russia, India, Mexico, the UK, France, Germany, and Australia. With them, these families brought customs, traditions, and yes, their pho.
Read more: Where did Vietnamese Pho Come From and How was it Invented
The long list of Vietnamese foods and Vietnamese-inspired cuisine is not just some list of dishes made from ingredients native to the region. There’s a lot of philosophy that goes into crafting perfect Vietnamese dishes.
Vietnamese cuisine focuses on five elements which are meant to create the perfect balance. Furthermore, as you’ll find out in this article, the rule of 5s is common in this category of ethnic cuisine. Vietnamese dishes, for this reason, oftentimes have more balanced fragrances, tastes, and colors compared to other cuisines like Chinese, Thai, or North American. As an example, pho is one such Vietnamese food focused on implementing balance. Similar to stews and soups in North America, there are many different ways to make pho. As a maker picks and chooses their ingredients, they must maintain balance.
Read more: What are the 5 Elements of Vietnamese Cuisine Used in Every Dish
In its most simplest form, pho is a mix of rice noodles, broth, a small portion of meat, and select additional ingredients. The story of how the Vietnamese-based dish though is so much more than simply what’s in it. As pho continues to gain popularity in North America, we thought we’d shine a light on not only the ingredients used to make it but the story behind it.
Pho is originally thought to have come from northern Vietnam, through a mix of French, Chinese, and Vietnamese cultures. In the early 1900s, the French occupied Vietnam and with this occupation, beef was commonly used in pho dishes. That’s because the French had an affinity for beef, making requests on the regular to have it incorporated into traditional dishes like pho. Prior to the French occupation, cattle in Vietnam were used only for livestock rather than for eating. Also, in this time, being so close to the Chinese border a lot of street vendors in Vietnam were in fact Chinese. Thereby, these three cultures were at the centre of how pho came to be.
Are you craving something a little different tonight for dinner – maybe you want to try something from an ethnic cuisine you’re not so familiar with. In the last half-century, ethnic cuisines have gained popularity in North America. Throughout this process, a lot of cuisines like Chinese and Indian have been “Americanized”, mixing in new influences that at times may take away from the health benefits associated with some of these foods. If you’re looking for healthy, ethnic cuisine, here’s a quick countdown of the top 5 healthiest cuisines by ethnic background and in no particular order.
Vietnamese cuisine
Read more: See the Top 5 Healthiest Cuisines by Ethnic Background
Vietnamese cooking in Canada has been on the rise since the 1970s. For those who have tried pho and similar Vietnamese dishes, you know how delightfully tasty it can be. For those that are new to Vietnamese foods, ingredients, cooking methods, and nutritional benefits, allow us to provide an introduction. Here are 4 reasons why Vietnamese cooking is loved by Canadians far and wide.
Vietnamese food is unique.
Vietnamese cuisine is similar and yet, completely unique from similar southeast Asian culture cooking. Vietnamese foods generally utilize very clean flavours and similar ingredients but they’re worked a little differently. You’ll never find a Vietnamese dish that’s overly rich, spicy, or sweet. You won’t find Indian curry-inspired classics or coconut milk-based savoury Thai dishes here. Vietnamese cooking does not use very many dry spices. Instead, in this cuisine, it’s the natural flavours of the food are emphasized.
Read more: 4 Reasons why Vietnamese Cooking is Praised and Loved by Canadians
Across Canada, Vietnamese food has not been as well publicized as other Asian food types like Chinese. Although similar to Chinese food, Vietnamese dishes have subtle differences. Comparatively, Vietnamese food is spiced different with unique herbs that give it a Vietnam-specific flavor and the vegetables used are also prepared a little differently.
For many Canadians, they may know soy sauce as a common part of Chinese food and food from various Asian countries. In Vietnamese, soy sauce is not used so much. Instead, it’s a fish sauce referred to as ‘nuoc mam’ that’s equally common. Surrounding Vietnam, seafood is plentiful with lobster, crabs, shrimp, and fish readily available.
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