Top Answer out of 3

by iwnit66 on Jan 13, 2008 at 9:03 am Permalink

phở bắc is "northern phở" from Hanoi

1) "Phở (pronounced IPA: [fɤ₃₁₃̌] listen (help·info) in Vietnamese , written pho and typically pronounced United Kingdom: IPA: /fə:/, United States: IPA: /fʌ/) is a traditional Vietnamese rice-noodle soup dish."

"Ingredients and preparation
Phở is served as a bowl of white rice noodles in clear beef broth, with thin cuts of beef (steak, fatty flank, lean flank, brisket). Variations featuring tendon, tripe, meatballs, chicken leg, chicken breast, or other chicken organs (heart, liver, etc.) are also available."

"Noodles
The noodles, called bánh phở in Vietnamese, are traditionally cut from wide sheets of fresh rice noodles similar to Chinese Shahe fen, although dried noodles (also called "rice sticks") may also be used."

"Phở originated in northern Vietnam and spread to southern and central Vietnam in the mid-1950s, after the defeat of the French and the eventual partitioning of the country. It is likely that phở came into being around 1910-1912, early enough in the new century. The communist government of North Vietnam forcibly closed many private phở businesses in the 1950s, opening government-run eateries in their place. Northern Vietnamese fleeing communist rule for South Vietnam introduced phở to their southern counterparts. Unlike in Hanoi in North Vietnam, the phở business flourished in South Vietnam, especially Saigon.

There are conflicting beliefs as to how phở came to be. Some believe it originated from French methods used in bouillon or consommé cooking. Oxen were valued work animals and were rarely eaten, but the arrival of the French had probably prompted servants to prepare a dish that suited the French palate. It is even said that phở came from the French beef stew dish pot-au-feu, with phở being a Vietnamization of the word feu. The broth for pot-au-feu, as it is for phở, is prepared with a bouquet garni containing spices such as cloves and black pepper. Another word for phở, used in Vietnam while Chinese was still the national written language, is hà phấn (河粉; Cantonese: ho4 fan2); the Chinese characters are the equivalent of the Chinese he fen, which comes from Shahe fen (沙河粉), the original name for the rice noodles originating in the town of Shahe, Guangdong.

Others believe that phở possible origins more likely lie in China. China had ruled over Vietnam for over a millennium and greatly influenced Vietnamese culture, including cuisine. Cooking methods used in phở, such as the use of spices also seen in Chinese cooking (see five-spice powder and red cooking), as well as the use of rice noodles, are all Chinese influences.

With the arrival of anti-communist Vietnamese exiles and refugees (that is, hailing from South Vietnam) in the post-Vietnam War period, phở was also gradually introduced to Western countries, especially to France and the United States.There are also many phở restaurants in Australia and Canada, as these countries also received many Vietnamese refugees and immigrants. Vietnamese immigrants also brought phở noodles to the former Soviet bloc countries, including Russia, Poland and the Czech Republic.

There are several regional variants of phở in Vietnam, particularly divided between northern (Hanoi, called phở bắc or "northern phở"; or phở Hà Nội), central (Huế), and southern (Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon). One regional phở may be sweeter, and another variation may emphasize a bolder and spicier flavor . "Northern phở" tends to use somewhat wider noodles and green onions. On the other hand, southern Vietnamese generally use thinner noodles (approximately the width of pad Thai or linguine noodles), and add bean sprouts and a greater variety of fresh herbs to their phở instead."
Source and further information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ph%E1%BB%9F


2) "Pho Bac, which means noodles from Northern Vietnam, particularly Hanoi "
Source and further information:
http://www.travelsmart.net/article/105575/


3) "For all the Pho "experts" in this forum 8-))), do you know what the difference is between Pho Bac (northern Vietnam style) and the more common Southern style?

Northern pho has a lighter broth with less star anise and cinnamon. The use of fresh herbs such as basil, saw, and ram rau isn't as prevalent.

Pho Bo is usually an oxtail broth, with rice noodles, some herbs (basil, mint, etc) and frozen, thinly sliced beef that cooks in the soup (sort of "shabu-shabu" style)

Pho Ga is the chicken variety with a lighter poultry broth and white meat chicken that is already cooked.

Really easy to make at home, no real set rules. I like to put thinly sliced spinach in mine...it melts in the broth and makes you feel healthy!"
Source and further information:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/299389


4) "The Tao of Phở

Pho is one of my most favorite Vietnamese dishes. Pho (pronounce as “fuh” from a low to a rising tone as from “fue to fuh”) is a most typical Vietnamese dish which represents Vietnamese cuisine as “simple yet sophisticated”. There are very few Vietnamese or anyone who claim to understand the Vietnamese or their culture, who don’t know you to eat or appreciate “Pho”. I, myself, have grown up with pho. I 've eaten pho and enjoyed pho as long as I could remember. Pho has all basic of nutritional valuẹ. It’s made from all natural fresh ingredients, which contain all basic nutrients for our body (carbohydrate from the rice noodles, protein from the meat and broth, vitamins and various minerals from the fresh mints and vegetable). Pho, sometimes, could be used a remedy for the sick (like chicken noodles soup in America). Pho, customarily, is a breakfast dish but it can be eaten at any time during the daỵ In Vietnam, people often cap theirs late night outings with a hot bowl of pho or rice-soup. Pho is always very easing to our soul, body, and stomach. I discuss Pho in this topic, is strictly Vietnamese beef noodle noodle soup, not its derivatives such as Pho Ga (chicken noodle soup) or Pho Ap Chao (Pan Fried noodle soup), etc."

"Pho is supposed to be originated from Hanoi but vast majority of good pho’s cooks emigrated into the South after 1954, where they established a new pho tradition outside of Hanoị Popular pho-shops in Hanoi currently are Pho Bat Ðan, Pho Thin, Pho Nguyen-Khuyen, Pho Thin, Pho Co-Cu, etc… The contenders for Pho in Saigon used to be Pho Pasteur, Pho Tau-Bay, Pho 54 (later migrated to the US), Pho Hien-Vuong, Pho Cong-Ly, Pho Tuong-Lai, etc… In the US, Pho 75 chains are very much dominating in the Northeast States while Pho 54, Pho 79, Pho Hoa, Pho Hoa-Viet, Pho Y, etc…are considered as Pho’s contenders in the West Coast. The vast majority of pho in overseas often is compromised of its freshness, which is the essential “ingredient” of Vietnamese cuisinẹ While most Pho shop in our homeland rarely ever lasted beyond 4-5 hours after we added the final ingredients into the broth. In overseas, pho’s broth could be kept for days at times as with other compliment ingredients."
Source and further information:
http://www.chinahistoryforum.com/.../t11118.html


5) Further information:
http://asiancuisine.suite101.com/article.cfm/phenomenal_pho
http://www.pho24.com.vn/news.php 6
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• 1 lb. shrimp

• 3 ounces pork fat

• 2 teaspoons sugar

• 3 tablespoons chopped onion

• 3 garlic cloves

10 bread slices. Remove the crust and cut each slice into 9 small squares.

Grind or chop pork fat. Add 2 teaspoons sugar. 

Mash shrimp and garlic with a blender or mallet. 

Combine mashed shrimp with pork fat. 

Season the mixture with salt and pepper. 

Spread it on bread pieces.

Deep fry in fat or cooking oil at 350 F for 5 minutes, drain on paper towel. Serve hot.

 

Makes 20 stuffed clams

• 20 clams

• 1 teaspoon chopped leek or green onion

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon brandy

• 1 piece 1" x 2" butter or margarine

• 1 dash of black pepper

Soak clams for 2 hours in cold water to remove sand. Parboil until shell open. Remove the shell. Season clams with ingredients indicated above. Stuff one clam in each empty half shell. Put 1 small dot of butter on top of each stuffed clam. Baked over high heat over 450 F for 15 min.

Make 6 servings

• 2 lbs tenderloin, thinly sliced crosswise

• 1 lb ground beef

Spices:

• 1/3 cup toasted peanuts, peeled and mashed

• 1/3 cup chopped onion

• 2 teaspoons curry powder

• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

• 1 teaspoon sugar

Season the sliced beef with 1 tablespoon Cognac or Tripple sec. Add spices to the ground beef, mix well. 

Put 1 tablespoon ground beef mixture in sliced beef, turn the sides in and roll. Skewer the roll.

Charcoal over medium fire until done or bake in the oven at 325 F for 30 to 45 minutes

Serve the beef with lettuce (bib or romaine) and prepared nuoc mam. Each diner wraps a piece of beef in a lettuce leaf and dips it into the nuoc mam (fish sauce).

• Nuoc Cham ( Double recipe amount)
• ? lb thin rice vermicilli
• 1? lbs cleaned monkfish or swordfish
• 1? tbsps fish sauce
• 1? tsps turmeric
• 2 tsps finely grated ginger
• 2 tbsps chopped shallots
• 2 tsps chopped garlic
• ? tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tbsp plus 2tsps groundnut oil
• ? cup sliced spring onion, green parts only
• 1? cups chopped dill
• ? cup chopped basil
• ? cup chopped coriander
• ? cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped

 

1 - Prepare the Nuoc Cham and set aside.

 

2 - Soak the rice vermicilli in warm water for 15-20 minutes. Drain. Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add the noodles, stir to separate and boil for 2-3 minutes. Drain and rinse well. Drain again.

 

3 - Rinse the fish and pat dry. Cut into ? " thick slices. In a mixing bowl combine the fish with the fish sauce, turmeric, ginger, shallots, garlic, white pepper and 1 tbsp groundnut oil. Stir well until blended then cover and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.

 

4 - Heat a wok over a high heat. Add the remaining groundnut oil and heat until smoking. Add the fish and stir fry for 2-3 minutes until golden on the outside and just cooked through. Remove from the heat and stir in the spring onions and half of the dill.

 

5  - Divide the noodles between shallow bowls. Top them with the fish. Sprinkle with the peanuts and remaining herbs. Drizzle with a generous amount of Nuoc Cham and serve immediately.