Pho is a long-standing traditional dish of the Vietnamese people. Pho is recognized by many chefs, experts, and international magazines as one of the most attractive dishes in the world. This dish is increasingly welcomed and enjoyed by people and tourists because of its unique appeal. The 2024 Pho Festival will be held in Nam Dinh province - a locality famous for Pho - to honor and preserve a long-standing profession rich in cultural values of the Vietnamese people, aiming to build a profile and include it in the list of World Intangible Cultural Heritage.
At first, pho had no name, but gradually, diners became addicted to the delicious taste of pho. When asked, they found that most of the pho sellers had the surname Co, so they named it Pho Co as a way to identify the pho dish cooked by the Co people from Nam Dinh. The secret to creating the Van Cu pho brand lies in the broth. In addition to choosing fresh ingredients, mainly beef and pork bones, Van Cu people also have a "secret" to process the ingredients to remove the bad smell, bringing out the fatty and sweet smell of the stewed bones. In addition to the bones being the main ingredient for the broth, to have a sweet taste, pho cooks here use vegetables and fruits to cook with it, creating a unique flavor. Mr. Co Van's family in Van Cu village, Dong Son commune, Nam Truc district, currently has 2 pho restaurants in Hanoi that are quite famous and attract a lot of customers to enjoy every day. Mr. Van said that gourmets can easily recognize the difference between Pho Co and other types of Pho because Van Cu people do not cook Pho according to a common recipe but work according to experience passed down from generation to generation, combining adjustments, additions, and selection of culinary quintessence to create a unique Pho flavor. In addition to cardamom, star anise, and cinnamon, the spices used to cook Pho are taken from the Northwest region, while fish sauce, salt, and shallots are selected from Giao Thuy, Hai Hau, and Nghia Hung districts. The careful selection of ingredients and spices, along with the family's "secret recipe" in cooking, creates a Pho flavor imbued with the cultural identity of Nam Dinh that cannot be confused with Pho from other regions. Coming to Thanh Nam today, along the ancient streets such as Hang Tien, Hang Dong, Hang Thao, Dong A, Tran Hung Dao, etc., in addition to Pho Co, visitors can enjoy many other traditional Pho brands such as Pho Xuyen, Pho Cu Tang, Pho Tao, Pho Dan, Pho Dong Nguyen, etc. The "cradle" of pho
When it comes to pho, locals and tourists immediately think of Pho Co, made by the people of Van Cu village, Dong Son commune, Nam Truc district, Nam Dinh province. The flavor of Pho Co is not only famous in the country but also in many countries around the world. This dish has become a specialty that tourists must find and enjoy every time they have the opportunity to visit Nam Dinh. Van Cu village, Dong Son commune, Nam Truc district is considered the "cradle" of the pho profession. Here, there is a traditional profession of making fresh pho noodles. According to the elders in the village, in the old days, during the winter months or when there was drizzle, there was no sun to dry them, so villagers had to sell fresh pho noodles. Gradually, in the process of making the profession, people created a new way of making pho by cutting the pho noodles into small strands to make pho with crab broth, broth from bones, chicken, and pork. From there, pho was born, creating a unique dish that attracts many people. Bowls of pho are carried by Van Cu people through small alleys in Thanh Nam, to neighboring localities such as Ha Nam , Hanoi, Hai Phong...
Building Pho into a cultural heritage
In 2021, Nam Dinh Culinary Culture Association was established to develop and promote the province's culinary culture to a wide audience at home and abroad. Immediately after its establishment, the Association made efforts to standardize Nam Dinh pho and promote the Vietnamese pho brand. To create attraction, especially to position the Vietnamese pho brand in general, Nam Dinh pho in particular, the Culinary Culture Association and pho making and selling establishments are committed to complying with the process, ensuring quality and food hygiene and safety. From the stage of choosing rice to make pho, choosing beef, vegetables, spices, the pho broth cooking process is very strict to preserve the characteristic flavor of ancient pho. Over the years, Nam Dinh Culinary Culture Association has had many activities to accompany and advise artisans in the province, contributing to the development of the pho profession, honoring precious ingredients. The Association promotes propaganda and promotion of the beauty of culinary culture, the quintessence of Vietnamese pho; Organize for members to exchange and learn experiences in making pho, promote, introduce and advertise pho... Ms. Le Thi Thiet, President of Nam Dinh Culinary Culture Association, said that the Association is building a project to support artisans, families and production units to produce complete products that meet the standards of Vietnamese pho in general and Nam Dinh pho in particular. The Association organizes many sessions to disseminate and guide how to cook delicious broth, share "tips" on choosing spices, balancing spices, and processing to have a delicious bowl of pho, helping members improve their pho making skills, making this dish converge the culinary quintessence of Vietnamese people. In order to make pho a National Intangible Cultural Heritage, and move towards building a dossier and putting pho on the list of World Intangible Cultural Heritage, in recent years, Nam Dinh province has regularly organized "Pho Day" and many activities to promote, introduce, promote and affirm the cultural value and culinary quintessence of pho. This year, from March 15-17, Nam Dinh province will organize a Pho Festival with many unique and attractive activities, attracting domestic and foreign tourists such as: Program "Finding the flavor of Vietnamese Pho;" talk show "Vietnamese Pho Road and Pho noodles;" "Promoting the flavor of Vietnamese Pho, Vietnamese Pho noodles;" "Space to introduce the Pho profession"... Participating in the 2024 Pho Festival, many culinary experts and owners of traditional Pho establishments across the country will have the opportunity to exchange and clarify the characteristics of traditional Pho and the development of the current Pho profession. A large number of people, tourists and embassies of some countries will have the opportunity to experience Pho in Van Cu village, Dong Son commune, Nam Truc district - considered the "cradle" of the Pho profession. Tourists have favorable conditions to learn and enjoy the flavor of Pho with the unique culinary culture of each region. The 2024 Pho Festival will contribute to elevating Vietnamese cuisine, making Pho a national brand, associated with tourism development. In 2021, Nam Dinh beef pho was included in the list of Top 100 Vietnamese specialties by the Vietnam Record Association and the Vietnam Record Organization./. (Vietnam News Agency/Vietnam+)
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