Pho is no doubt the most famous one
among all Vietnamese traditional cuisines. However, there is not only one but a
whole spectrum of different kinds of Pho in Vietnam, one of which is Sour Pho
(Pho Chua). Originally from Lang Son, this special dish is the result of the
interaction between many cultures of the country.
This
speciality is cooked in a very complicated yet interesting way. To savor a bowl
of Sour Pho, you have to eat it slowly to enjoy both its taste and smell.
Nowadays, even though Sour Pho appears in many restaurants thorough the
Northern part of Vietnam, the most delicious one that you can found must be in
That Khe, Lang Son.
The
dish has two components: the dried ingredients and the soup. The first dried
ingredient is the noodle. Unlike other kinds of Pho noodle, it has a relatively
small size and tastes really chewy. Potatoes are another important ingredient;
they are sliced and fried in boiling oil until they become crispy. The others
are pig’s liver and pork side, which are also fried. The last dried ingredient
is roast duck, but the cook usually gets it from famous restaurants in That Khe
to save the time.
The
second component of Sour Pho, the soup, is made solely from garlic, vinegar and
sugar. Sometime you might see people adding seasoning powder into this soup.
However, the core element of the soup is the juice inside the roast duck, which
has both the buttery flavor of duck fat, and the fragrance of the spices added
in the roasting process.
All
of these ingredients are prepared beforehand by the cook. Whenever an order
comes, he will mix them up in such a skillful way that maintain a perfect ratio
between soup and noodle so that the ingredients absorb all the spice. The
mixing process, though the last step, can be considered as the most important
step.
However,
before serving, the cook still has one last thing to do: decoration.
Artistically, he adds crumble peanuts, fresh herbs, veggies, fried garlic and
sliced sausages onto the already-tempting bowl of Pho. On top of everything,
the cook dust a spice called Xung Xang, a unique speciality of That Khe. Each
of the eaters can add limes, chilies or spices according to his personal
preference.
Sour
Pho is most popular during summer and autumn. It is considered as the pride of
Lang Son people. As a result, it is always served when a special guest visit a
Lang Son family.
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