Pho is a dish you can find easily in Toronto, across a network of Vietnamese families and restaurants. Commonly mispronounced as ‘faux’, the dish known to Vietnamese people as ‘fa’ is hot, aromatic, balanced, and healthy. Pho is also a meal that easily suits a range of diets from low-carb to vegan.
So what’s so special about pho in Toronto – well, it comes with a history. Pho is a dish with only about 100 years of history behind it. Compared to other ethnic cuisine meals, that’s not much. Even so, it’s got a very storied history and is closely tied to Vietnamese families living in Toronto.
Healthy eating and Vietnamese cuisine aren’t far apart. The country has some of the healthiest dishes in ethnic cuisine, in large part because the ingredients are always fresh and a lot of vegetables are common. Here’s a quick rundown of what we believe to be the 10 healthiest Vietnamese foods.
Fresh fruit
Vietnam is well known for being full of nutritious and delicious fruit. Some of the healthiest fruits in Vietnamese cuisine include things like oranges, mangosteen, dragon fruit, milk fruit, papaya, and mangoes.
Read more: What are the Healthiest Dishes in Vietnamese Cuisine – A List of 10 Vietnamese Foods
When it comes to the food we choose to eat, not many of us think about the eco-friendliness of what sits on our plate. Unfortunately, some of the healthiest foods for our bodies can also be a significant strain on the planet.
Discussing ethnic cuisines, there is no one which is healthier for the Earth than others. That said, there are several ways to eat sustainably pulling from different cuisines from around the world. If one is aware of where the food that sits on their plate has come from, it can be much easier to eat eco-friendly.
Did you know food production is estimated to account for as much as 26 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions every year – it’s true. Food waste also is responsible for up to 8 percent. Considering the effects climate change can have on droughts and storms, 800 million or more could be at risk for food security. Needless to say, that’s a sizeable amount of environmental damage which could be minimized by knowing what food is best from an eco-sustainable perspective for a population.
Read more: Where Does Vietnamese Rank on the World’s Most Eco-Friendly Ethnic Cuisines – read here
A lot of Canadians have taken up the Keto diet in an attempt to lose weight and live healthier lives. Dining out on Keto can be a bit of a hassle though. After all, Keto is low-carb and high-fat, and is quite similar to the Atkins diet and other low-carb diets. It is argued the reduction in carbs the body takes in causes it to go into a metabolic state known as ‘ketosis’.
Visiting different Toronto restaurants, a lot of meals you’ll find are mid-to-high carb and aren’t necessarily the most ketogenic foods there are. Thankfully, Vietnamese cuisine may be your answer.
Vietnamese foods bring together many different flavors and ingredients. In fact, there are more than 70 herbs used in Vietnamese cooking. This isn’t even counting the sauces which range from fish sauces to shrimp sauce, crab sauce, frog sauce, and more than 25 other varieties. Needless to say, when you choose to eat Vietnamese food, you’re going to get some really flavorful dishes.
Read more: What Vietnamese Food Works with the Keto Diet – read here
Vietnamese cuisine in Toronto has never been more popular. Although pho in Toronto is what so many have gravitated towards, there are numerous other Vietnamese-style dishes that are sure to warm your tummy. Here’s just a few of them.
Banh xeo
Banh xeo are rice crepes made with a mix of turmeric and coconut milk, usually filled with bean sprouts, pork, or shrimp. Accompanied with some greens, this is a delicious balanced meal that’s easy going down.
Hu tieu
Hu tieu is very popular in southern Vietnam and is a sort of Cambodian-Chinese inspired customization on pho. Hu tieu usually includes rice noodles or egg noodles swimming in broth or completely dry. While pho focuses more on beef, hu tieu leans towards seafood and pork which is perhaps the main difference.
Read more: 10 Other Vietnamese Dishes Besides Pho worth Taking a Bite Out of
When someone thinks pho, they don’t necessarily connect it with something you can drink. Just like soup, someone eating it probably prefers using chopsticks or a spoon to get in and get a bite. Not many North Americans would ever want to drink soup and especially in a cocktail. It just doesn’t sound natural and nice.
A Hanoi bartender is changing the way things are done with pho and has come up with a pho cocktail, or pho-in-a-glass. Believe it or not, it’s become a hit. He works from a Vietnamese beef noodle soup recipe, eliminating the meat though so you’re not getting any bites as you take in a sip. Featuring cinnamon, star anise, cardamom, and coriander, needless to say, this is an amazing cocktail that has to be tasted to be truly appreciated.
Read more: Would you Try a Pho Cocktail? This Hanoi Bartender has Hit Upon a New Recipe!
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