Southeast Asia—Vietnam: Pho By: Kristen Dunphey GWU Geog2133: People, Land and Food, Spring 2011 "IN FOOD, AS IN DEATH, WE FEEL THE ESSENTIAL BROTHERHOOD OF MAN." My New-Found Love If you ask anyone that knows my family, even by the slightest bit, they would describe us as AllAmerican. Apparently, everything we do is somehow apart of the “American Dream.” We live in “Suburbia” Pennsylvania, my mom drove a mini-van, my dad drove a pick-up truck (until gas prices went up, he then switched to a Honda), there are two kids in my family (my brother and I), and every night our family eats dinner together at the dining room table. Food, however, is the one thing that is not “All-American” about my family. I mean occasionally we have meat loaf or charcoal grilled burgers, but the majority of our meals are inspired by Asian cuisine. Once my parents realized that we all love Asian food we began to eat it more often. In every city we visit often we have our favorite Asian restaurants. In Bar Harbor, ME we frequent Siam Orchid; a fantastic Thai Restaurant. In DC we always go to Bangkok Joe’s, a contemporary Thai restaurant, and in Philadelphia the restaurant Vietnam is our place of choice. The restaurant Vietnam single handedly switched my favorite food from buffalo chicken straight to pho. It was love at first bite. There is something about the combination of sweet and spicy in Vietnamese food that makes my taste buds go wild. Ever since, I have been on the hunt for the best pho restaurant, and I think I found it. In a shady little shopping center on the corner of Adams Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia there is a place that only serves beef pho and for $11 you can get a bowl of soup big enough to bathe in. And now I am trying my own hand at preparing my favorite dish. Photo Credit: http://claynferno.isfeasting.com/posts/ beef-pho-in-allston Fun Fact: A typical meal for the average Vietnamese family would include:  Individual bowls of rice  A roasted meat or fish dish  A stir-fried vegetable dish  Canh (a clear broth with vegetables and often meat) or other Vietnamese-style soup  Prepared fish sauce and/or soy sauce for dipping. All dishes are communal and to be shared apart from the individual bowls of rice. Vietnamese Cuisine Vietnamese cuisine is known for and has a hug emphasis on fresh ingredients. Most dishes use combinations of fresh herbs, spices, fruits, vegetables and, meat. The most common types of meat used are beef, pork, chicken and various types of seafood. There is also a big emphasis on using and supplying fresh vegetables and dipping sauces as sides in Vietnamese cuisine. Because of the fertile soils in Vietnam, there is no shortage of these fresh ingredients. Photo Credit: http://steamykitchen.com/271-vietnamese-beefnoodle-soup-pho.html Vietnamese Cuisine Continued... Vietnamese cuisine can be separated into three different sections: Northern, Southern, and Central. Each of these regions have influences of their own. The Southern region of Vietnam, for example, has a Chinese influence due to the high number of Chinese immigrants. These southern flavors are more sweet compared to the other regions. Along with their sweet influence, the Chinese brought things like soy sauce and rice noodles to Vietnam. The Northern section of Vietnam has more strict and traditional menu items. The birthplace of my favorite dish, pho, was in the Northern region of Vietnam. The central part of Vietnam has influences of both the northern and southern regions of the country. These dishes usually consist of many small side dishes with a distinct spiciness. The French culture, however, has influence throughout much of the Vietnamese cuisine. After the French occupied the region that is now Vietnam, they left behind the legacy of breads, sandwiches, coffee and ice cream. Despite all outside influences, the fresh ingredients are what makes Vietnamese cuisine unique. Photo Credit: http://www.vietnambudgettour.com/webplus/ viewer.print.asp?aid=116&l=EN Other Credits: Ahuja, Alka. "THE CUISINES OF ASIA TASTING THE FLAVORS OF KOREA & VIETNAM." Beef Pho Recipe: THE BROTH: 2 onions, halved 4" nub of ginger, halved lengthwise 5-6 lbs of good beef bones, preferably leg and knuckle 1 lb of beef meat - chuck, brisket, rump, cut into large slices *optional+ 6 quarts of water 1 package of Pho Spices *1 cinnamon stick, 1 tbl coriander seeds, 1 tbl fennel seeds, 5 whole star anise, 1 cardamom pod, 6 whole cloves - in mesh bag+ 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt (halve if using regular table salt) 1/4 cup fish sauce 1 inch chunk of yellow rock sugar (about 1 oz) - or 1oz of regular sugar THE BOWLS: 2 lbs rice noodles (dried or fresh) cooked beef from the broth 1/2 lb flank, london broil, sirloin or eye of round, sliced as thin as possible. big handful of each: mint, cilantro, basil 2 limes, cut into wedges 2-3 chili peppers, sliced 2 big handfuls of bean sprouts Hoisin sauce Sriracha hot sauce Directions: Parboil the bones: Fill large pot (12-qt capacity) with cool water. Boil water, and then add the bones, keeping the heat on high. Boil vigorously for 10 minutes. Drain, rinse the bones and rinse out the pot. Refill pot with bones and 6 qts of cool water. Bring to boil over high heat and lower to simmer. Using a ladle or a fine mesh strainer, remove any scum that rises to the top. Boil broth: Add ginger, onion, spice packet, beef, sugar, fish sauce, salt and simmer uncovered for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the beef meat and set aside. Continue simmering for another 1 1/2 hours. Strain broth and return the broth to the pot. Taste broth and adjust seasoning - this is a crucial step. If the broth's flavor doesn't quite shine yet, add 2 teaspoons more of fish sauce, large pinch of salt and a small nugget of rock sugar (or 1 teaspoon of regular sugar). Keep doing this until the broth tastes perfect. Prepare noodles & meat: Slice your flank/london broil/sirloin as thin as possible - try freezing for 15 minutes prior to slicing to make it easier. Recipe Credit: http://steamykitchen.com/271-vietnamese-beef-noodle-soup-pho.html