Unique Pho Phu Thong

Drying the rice noodles is an important step to create the chewy and fragrant texture of Phu Thong pho.

Unlike industrial dried pho that is rolled by machine and quickly dried for mass packaging, Phu Thong pho retains the traditional method of making it by hand: from soaking rice, grinding flour, making rice paper to drying in the sun, everything is done by hand. That is why the pho noodles here are soft, chewy, and have the characteristic rich aroma of pure Bao Thai rice.

To learn about the pho making profession, we visited the Chinh residential group, where many households are involved in the traditional pho making profession. Mrs. Lang Thi Hoan, who has been involved in the profession for over 40 years, still maintains the habit of waking up at 5am to start making pho. She said: Rice must be soaked for 8 hours before grinding. Mixing the flour also has its own secret so that the pho noodles have a delicious, characteristic chewy flavor. Making pho noodles must be done over wood fire to retain the aroma of the rice. Making the noodles too thin will make them fall apart, and too thick will make them tough.

After being cooked, pho is divided into three types: fresh pho that can be eaten immediately with broth; pho ngot that is dried in the sun to be used within 1-2 days; and dried pho, dried in the sun for 3-4 hours, then cut into small pieces, and dried again carefully so it can be preserved for a long time.

The finished dried pho noodles are ivory white, have a natural light shine, and when cooked, retain their chewiness without becoming crumbly or sticky. To make pho, you need a large yard. Families always take advantage of sunny days to dry the noodles, because if it rains for a long time, the whole batch of pho can be ruined because it is not dry enough. Therefore, making pho is not only a job, but also a connection to the rhythm of the weather and rural life.

Nowadays, with the support of machines such as grinders, pho slicers, etc., pho makers have less trouble and are more productive. However, people here still make pho noodles by hand on a wood stove, thanks to which each noodle retains its original deliciousness and elasticity.

Despite its long history, it was only in the last 10 years that Phu Thong dry pho became widely known outside the locality. Previously, people only made it to eat or give to relatives during holidays and Tet. Since 2012, Ms. Hoan started receiving small orders from breakfast restaurants, and gradually, Phu Thong pho was available in markets, grocery stores and neighboring provinces such as Cao Bang , Lang Son...

Currently, Ms. Hoan delivers an average of 30kg of dried pho every day, and around Tet, it can go up to 50kg. The price of pho fluctuates around 35,000 VND/kg. Not only Ms. Hoan's family, in Dau Cau village, there are currently more than 20 households making pho, with an average income of 7-8 million VND/month. From there, a small craft village gradually formed, creating a livelihood and connecting the community.

However, the traditional pho making profession in Phu Thong has not really developed to its full potential. Currently, many households lack drying yards, are dependent on the weather, lack professional packaging and do not have a clear brand in the market.

Building collective brands, granting OCOP certification or bringing products to modern distribution channels still face many difficulties. Therefore, in addition to the perseverance and efforts of the people, practical support policies from the locality are needed.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/dat-va-nguoi-thai-nguyen/202508/doc-dao-pho-phu-thong-b5a3487/