Since the Vietnam War ended over 4 decades ago, families have continued coming to Toronto and they’ve brought with them generational recipes on how to make pho. Some of the first Vietnamese that made it to Toronto came in the late 1960s. That amount has since grown to a total of 37,000 Vietnamese-Canadians in Toronto – a notable amount from Canada’s total of 74,000.
In the 1960s, as these families first arrived in Toronto, there was nowhere to get common pho ingredients like rice noodles. Substitutes were made by those who came here, usually using spaghetti and other Canadian or American ingredients to make a broth that was nothing like home. These days, with Asian ingredients at grocery stores all over the GTA and Asian supermarkets out there to get all the necessary ingredients for Vietnamese pho, it’s much easier to make.
For those who have come here from Vietnam, it’s a dish that reminds them of home and family. Pho recipes have been passed down through families for decades. To some degree, it’s a necessary part of growing up Vietnamese. The broth is made by parboiling down different bones for the broth. Ingredients like ginger, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, onions, and star anise are commonly used to spruce up the broth even further. From there, rice noodles, vegetables, and a protein source are mixed in.
There’s nothing like some authentically prepared Vietnamese pho. This is a dish you can’t get in any other way. Campbell’s readymade pho broth, for example, doesn’t even come close. Internet-published Instant Pho recipes also only come so close to getting the pho right enough to call it Vietnamese. Preparation of pho can take a day or two, admittedly a disadvantage in an era where people want food prepared fast and conveniently. Pho is very much a family meal, shared from parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and shared between loved ones.
Vietnamese families have moved all over the world, relocating to countries like the US, Australia, France, Germany, and yes, Canada. They’ve come to Canada as refugees, legal immigrants, professionals looking for work. These courageous people brought with them their culture, their food, and their love. Pho done right has come to represent so much about the Toronto Vietnamese immigrant story. It’s an unmistakable part of the Vietnamese-Canadian identity.
Haven’t tried a bowl of pho yet? Get yours at Toronto Pho. It’s the best in Toronto and all authentically prepared. Enjoy recipes that have travelled so many kilometres to arrive here. Pronunciation aside, pho is a dish you won’t ever forget after you’ve tried it. Healthy and balanced, customize your own bowl any day of the week at our Toronto location.
