Pho - a fascinating journey of "Southernization"

In the southernmost region of Vietnam, where cuisine is closely associated with shrimp, crab, fish, and the salty taste of the sea, pho – a dish seemingly exclusive to the North – has quietly taken root and become a fascinating highlight in Ca Mau's culinary scene. Beyond simply being introduced, pho here has been adapted, blended, and "Southernized," creating a unique flavor that is both familiar and novel, captivating diners.

• Here are a few quick and easy recipes using shrimp.
• Sweet potato fritters - a delicious and easy-to-make dish.
• The flavors of Ca Mau in delicious crab dishes.

Traditional Northern-style pho, with beef and pickled garlic, retains its authentic flavor.

According to research documents, Northern pho has a long history and was brought to the South by migrants in 1954. Since then, this dish has been called "Northern pho," preserving its traditional spirit with the main ingredients being beef, beef offal, soft rice noodles, and broth simmered from bones for many hours. It is this broth, a blend of beef bones, cinnamon, star anise, cardamom, cloves, ginger, etc., that creates the characteristic sweet and savory flavor, determining the "soul" of a bowl of pho.

One interesting aspect that makes Northern pho so appealing to tourists in the South , especially in Ca Mau, is its flexible adaptation while still retaining its original essence. While traditional Northern pho uses soft, slightly sour rice noodles, in the South, many restaurants also substitute pho noodles with hu tieu – thin, chewy noodles with less sourness, better suited to local tastes.

Beef bone pho is rich and flavorful, served with soy sauce, chili, and spicy satay sauce.

Not only are the noodles different, but the ways of enjoying them are also more diverse. Besides the familiar pho soup with rare beef, brisket, tendon, flank, etc., diners can also choose dry pho, eaten like dry rice noodles, with the broth served separately, creating a novel experience. The accompanying condiments are also "enhanced" in flavor: in addition to soy sauce, chili, and pickled garlic, Southern pho often includes chili paste, bringing a spicy and rich taste. Some places even serve pho with bone broth, featuring tender and fatty meat, creating another attractive option for diners.

The rich toppings are the appealing highlight of this modified dry pho dish.

It is this fusion that has created a unique version of pho, both familiar and new, with a distinctly Southern flavor.

In 2025, the prestigious food website TasteAtlas published a list of the 100 best meat broth dishes in the world , in which Vietnamese beef pho impressively made it into the top 10. From a traditional dish, pho has reached international prominence, becoming a culinary icon bearing the brand "Vietnamese pho".

The piping hot, fragrant broth brings out the tender, sweet flavor of the rare beef pho.

The appeal of pho lies not only in its flavor but also in its witty and evocative portrayals in everyday life. Once described as a refined "gift" from Hanoi by writer Thach Lam, pho, upon arriving in the South, underwent a transformation, cultural exchange, and acquired its own unique and generous character. It's a steaming bowl of pho, fragrant with beef, with chewy noodles, blended with scallions, pepper, chili, savory chili paste, and a variety of toppings – creating a culinary experience that is both familiar and novel, with each bite full of flavor.

In Ca Mau, pho is not just a dish, but also a testament to adaptation and creativity. A hot bowl of pho, fragrant with beef, with chewy noodles, blended with onions, pepper, chili, and chili paste… not only warms the hearts of diners, but also tells the story of cultural exchange, where each variation contributes to enriching the flavor of a dish that has become a shared pride of the Vietnamese people.

Lam Hy

Source: https://baocamau.vn/pho-hanh-trinh-nam-hoa-day-hap-dan-a127133.html