Vietnamnet.vn
Podcast
Pho is one of the most long-standing dishes in Hanoi. CNN included Pho in a list of the 50 tastiest dishes on earth in 2018. (Photo: VNA)
Earlier, Pho Hanoi and the making of Nam O and Phu Quoc fish sauce were added to the heritage list.
Craft of Nam O fish sauce making
The traditional craft of fish sauce making in Nam O village in the central city of Da Nang was designated as a national intangible cultural heritage in August 2019. The city is planning to integrate the craft to the local community-based tourism offerings.
Located in Lien Chieu district, Nam O is a renowned craft village in Da Nang with a history of more than 400 years. Local artisans said the village ferments fish sauce in the third and seventh lunar months, the time when the fish is in the best taste.
Black anchovies, the main raw material, are fermented with salt obtained from Sa Huynh in the central province of Quang Ngai for 12-18 months.
The authentic Nam O fish sauce is known for its rich salty flavor, blended with the sweetness of fresh fish, distinctive aroma and amber colour.
According to the Lien Chieu District People’s Committee, 64 local households have engaged in the making of fish sauce. The craft village also boats ten large-scale fish sauce making facilities. Some 250,000 litres of fish sauce have been sold each year since 2020.
On June 27, the village was granted the geographical certification for its fish sauce, the first in Da Nang city.
Craft of Phu Quoc fish sauce making
Phu Quoc, Vietnam’s biggest island off the coast of the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang, is famous for the craft of fish sauce making. Phu Quoc’s sea area has been teeming with a variety of seaweed and plankton that are major feed sources for anchovies, a key ingredient in its fish sauce.
More than 200 years ago, local fishermen caught fresh anchovies and salted them before bringing them home for fermentation in giant wooden barrels.
Fermenting anchovies in wooden vats which are made of soft bollygum, is a outstanding feature of the Phu Quoc fish sauce making craft. The older the vats and barrels are, the more durable they become and the better the quality of the fish sauce is.
The vats have a wide mouth and are made from 55 planks of equal size, 2.2 metres long, 20cm wide, and 6cm thick. The diameter of the vat mouth is about 3.2m and that of the bottom is some 2.6m. It is also strapped with green rattan.
Phu Quoc fish sauce is produced in traditional methods, with the recipe being three layers anchovy and one layer of salt and the fermentation period from 10 to 15 months.
From the first to final layers, the fish sauce is divided into different types based on their protein levels.
The final product has an amber colour and a distinctive flavour characterised by a mild aroma, a salty taste on the tip of the tongue and a sweet aftertaste.
Thanh Quoc Fish Sauce Production and Trading Company Limited in Duong Dong town has got a concessional loan from Vietcombank to expand production. The firm provides some 5 million litres of fish sauce for the market every year. (Photo: VNA)
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recognised the Phu Quoc fish sauce making craft as a national intangible cultural heritage on May 27, 2021.
Pho Nam Dinh
Pho in the northern province of Nam Dinh has become a source of pride for local people for its unique features at every stage, from the selection of ingredients, craft of flavouring and colouring to the careful cooking process that ensure authentic taste and nutritional value.
Artisans said good beef broth must include a full range of spies and aromatics like fried onions, mashed roasted ginger, cardamom, star anise, cinnamon, gloves, coriander seed and tasty fish sauce and bone marrow, among others, adding it always takes around a day to prepare the broth.
Pho Nam Dinh could be served with rare and well-done beef. (Photo: VNA)
Pho Nam Dinh could be served with rare and well-done beef. For a bowl with rare beef, the cook typically slices the beef after receiving customers’ orders to ensure its freshness then use a knife to tenderise the beef, making it stick together like a thin fillet before blanching and pouring it into the bowl.
Pho in the northern province of Nam Dinh has become a source of pride for local people for its unique features at every stage. (Photo: VNA)
The dish was added to the list of national intangible cultural heritages on August 9. The recognition is a crucial step towards seeking its inclusion in the UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Pho Ha Noi
Pho eateries have mushroomed in every corner of Hanoi, with nearly 700 facilities as of 2023, according to the municipal Department of Culture and Sports. However, most of the renowned Pho bo (beef noodle soup) and Pho ga (chicken noodle soup) brands are in Hoan Kiem, Ba Dinh and Hai Ba Trung districts.
According to various historical records, Pho Hanoi was a street food that was hawked throughout the streets in the early 20th century.
The meticulous combination of neutral and cooling ingredients and spices in Pho demonstrates the awareness of creating a balance between human and the natural environment.
Most of the local Pho eateries do not have catchy names but they are referred to the name of the owner or distinctive characteristics of the owners like Pho Chieu, Pho Tinh, Pho Tu Lun (short), Pho Vui and Pho Khoi Hoi (bald).
Pho Thin has been served to eaters on Lo Duc street over the past 45 years. (Photo: VNA)
Pho has not only been embedded in the conscience of the Hanoi people but also enriched the Pho landscape of Vietnamese cuisine as a whole. Pho is present in more than 50 countries across the globe and has had its named defined in many reputable dictionaries.
Pho Hanoi was recognised as a national intangible cultural heritage on August 9.
My Quang
Every region in Vietnam boasts unique culinary specialties. Pho hails from Hanoi while Bun Bo comes from the central city of Hue. My Quang is the spirit of the central province of Quang Nam.
The craft of making My Quang is acknowledged for encapsulating the distinctive culinary values of the area. According to the Quang Nam People’s Committee, the dish evolved alongside the southward migration of settlers, adapting to available ingredients and thus contributing to its rich and varied flavours.
This versatile dish highlights the folk culinary culture of the land, appealing to a broad range of tastes and embodying the local history and folk knowledge.
The craft of making My Quang is acknowledged for encapsulating the distinctive culinary values of the area. (Photo: VNA)
It is eaten with toasted Vietnamese sesame rice crackers, fried shallots and herbs, such as rau ram (fragrant knotweed), coriander, perilla and lettuce. The dish was served to world leaders at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in 2017.
It was added to the national intangible cultural heritage list on August 9./. VNA
.svg){kind=icon}
