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Pho is a Vietnamese beef and noodle soup. The soup includes noodles
made from rice and is often served with basil, lime, bean sprouts and peppers
that are added to the soup by the customer. |
Left: Vietnamese pho
noodle soup, Saigon-Style. |
Pho is served in a bowl with white
rice noodles in clear beef broth, with thin
cuts of beef (steak, fatty flank, lean flank, brisket). Variations feature
tendon, tripe, meatballs, chicken leg, chicken breast, or other chicken organs.
The broth is generally made by simmering beef (and sometimes chicken) bones,
oxtails, flank steak, charred onion, and spices, taking several hours to
prepare. Seasonings can include Saigon cinnamon or other kinds of cinnamon as
alternatives (may use stick or powder), star anise, roasted ginger, black
cardamom, coriander seed, fennel seed and clove.
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Vietnamese dishes are meals typically served with lots of
greens, herbs, vegetables and various other accompaniments such as dipping
sauces, hot and spicy pastes, and flavor enhancements such as a squeeze of lime
or lemon. |
Left: Typical
garnishes for pho: culantro, basil, lime, bean sprouts and onions. |
The dish is garnished with ingredients such as green onions, white
onions, coriander, Thai basil, fresh Thai chili peppers, lemon or
lime wedges, bean sprouts, and leaves of culantro (ngò gai) (should not be
confused with cilantro or coriander - which is called ngò rí in Vietnamese. The
coriander plant is used just for its seeds to prepare the broth, but
not its leaves).
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Several ingredients do not come with pho but can be ordered by request. Extra
beef fat in broth can be ordered and comes with scallions to sweeten
it. A popular side dish ordered upon request is hanh dam, or vinegared white
onions. |
Left: Vietnamese pho
noodle soup with sliced rare beef and well done beef brisket. |