Pho - History

History

Pho originated in the early 20th century in northern Vietnam, apparently southeast of Hanoi in Nam Định province, then a substantial textile market. At first, it was sold by vendors from large boxes. Pho restaurants opened in Hanoi in the 1920s.

The word "pho" may be derived from French pot-au-feu (beef stew), or from Cantonese rice vermicelli, referred to in Vietnamese as hà in (河) or phấn (粉).

Nguyen Tung, an anthropologist based in Paris who has researched Vietnamese food suggests that pho derived from the Cantonese pronunciation of “fun” (noodle).

The variations in meat, broth and additional garnishes, such as lime, bean sprouts, ngò gai (culantro), húng quế (Thai/Asian basil), and tương (bean sauce/hoisin sauce) appear to be innovations introduced in the south. Pho did not become popular in South Vietnam until 1954.

Possibly the earliest reference to pho in English was in the book Recipes of All Nations, edited by Countess Morphy in 1935. In the book, pho is described as "an Annamese soup held in high esteem ... made with beef, a veal bone, onions, a bayleaf, salt, and pepper, and a small teaspoon of nuoc-mam."

With the Vietnam war and the victory of the North Vietnamese, pho was brought to many countries by Vietnamese refugees fleeing Vietnam from the 1970s onwards. It is especially popular in large cities with substantial Vietnamese populations and enclaves such as Paris, major cities in Canada, the U.S, and Australia. Pho is listed at number 28 on "World's 50 most delicious foods" compiled by CNN Go in 2011.