Pho Huong Binh restaurant, District 3, HCMC - Photo: QUANG DINH
When the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List for 15 heritage records named Nam Dinh Pho Folk Knowledge, Nam Dinh Province and Hanoi Pho Folk Knowledge, Hanoi City, this was good news for pho sellers, pho lovers in particular and culture lovers in general.
Because up to now, in terms of cuisine, only Nam O fish sauce making, Phu Quoc fish sauce making, Quang noodle folk knowledge, Hanoi pho, Nam Dinh pho are on this list.
To make national cultural heritage not just a "label" for good taste, there is still a lot of work to be done to turn pho into a soft economy in cultural export.
Artist Le Thi ThietAfter registering for pho, what next?
Culinary artist Anh Tuyet said the registration was "a bit slow but better late than never". Not only Hanoi or Nam Dinh, but in our country, every province has pho. Vietnamese pho is loved by international tourists.
"However, how to develop pho is a big problem that requires the participation of not only researchers and those in the pho business, but also higher levels," said Ms. Tuyet, and according to her, "building pho into a national brand is still a mess."
For a long time, folk knowledge of pho has been passed down mainly by word of mouth.
"After registration, pho needs to be identified and systematized in a systematic and scientific way, then Vietnamese pho will be accepted in a more professional and sustainable way," said Ms. Tuyet.
A representative of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Nam Dinh province told Tuoi Tre that the Provincial People's Committee has directed the department and specialized agencies to develop a project to protect and promote heritage values according to regulations.
At the same time, take measures to protect and promote the value of intangible cultural heritage.
The province will increase promotion and introduction of heritage; continue to research the origin and process of formation and development of pho here.
At the same time, document the heritage through interviews, audio and video recordings of the heritage practice process of pho restaurant owners who are long-time pho chefs in families with many generations of experience in the profession, with prestige voted by the pho-enjoying community...
This department is gradually researching and planning a cultural space for enjoying pho in Nam Dinh to attract domestic and especially foreign tourists to enjoy pho cuisine.
There are about 700 pho restaurants in Hanoi - Photo: NAM TRAN
Artisan Le Thi Thiet - President of Nam Dinh Culinary Culture Association - said "we still lack a clear identity for pho, not only for international tourists but also for Vietnamese people". According to her, not only pho but also other Vietnamese dishes currently lack a standard.
Ms. Thiet said that "the criteria in the F&B industry (food and beverage industry) include many factors. For example, in terms of sensory and aesthetic aspects. Or the constituent elements such as spices, ingredients and nutrition of the dish...".
Ms. Thiet gives an example of why Italy can name "traditional spaghetti" or Korea can name "traditional kimchi" because they can identify their tradition, then on the basis of that tradition they have the next step of creation and development.
Ms. Bui Thanh Loan, representative of Pho Thin Bo Ho brand - the unit that will attend Vietnam Pho Festival in Korea on October 5 and 6, shares experiences from her brand's story.
Not only is Pho Thin Bo Ho meticulous in its service style, food hygiene and safety..., it also cares about the connection between consumers, tourists and the pho restaurant itself. That is what creates good, memorable experiences.
However, Ms. Loan added that "there is still confusion and ambiguity between pho brands, and incorrect information, making the pho industry lack transparency.
As business people, we really hope to have a pho map or a standard pho information portal that provides correct information to people and customers."
Nam Dinh has about 300 pho restaurants - Photo: NAM TRAN
Eating a delicious bowl of pho is also "eating" culture. All the experiences surrounding the bowl of pho create an invisible, direct connection, creating vivid memories for tourists with the land they set foot on. Therefore, pho restaurants should not forget and must know how to take care of the connection between themselves and consumers and tourists.
Ms. Bui Thanh Loan, representative of Pho Thin Bo Ho
Missing story
Journalist Vinh Quyen, one of the admins of the forum Ha Thanh Huong Xua Vi Cu (more than 15,000 members), told Tuoi Tre : to eat Pho Bat Dan, there were days when she had to go three times.
According to Ms. Quyen, people from other places often complain about the restaurant's service attitude and the owner's lack of enthusiasm. But people in the old town still line up to enjoy pho here.
If you pay close attention, you will see that the owner is very attentive and careful with each piece of beef. He does not pre-cut the meat, but only cuts it for the bowl the customer orders. This has become an immutable principle of this pho brand. When the meat is cooked, it is very fragrant and juicy.
People and tourists participate in Pho Day 2022 in Nam Dinh - Photo: NAM TRAN
Ms. Quyen said after doing some research, she learned that the restaurant only cooks four pots of broth in the afternoon. When they run out, they stop selling. Some customers also do not add water to boil and sell like other restaurants.
Currently, the couple who own the restaurant still cook directly. Their children are not allowed to cook, but only do small tasks such as collecting money, pouring broth...
According to Ms. Quyen, that is one of the stories that impressed her. The way they are devoted to pho and respect their customers. That is something that many pho business people have "forgotten".
To develop the pho industry, each brand should try to create its own story.
As in the book Old Stories of Hanoi , writer To Hoai recounts that Mr. Thin's Ho Bo restaurant is not famous for its delicious pho, but first of all because during the years when the US bombed the city center, in all of Hanoi, only Mr. Thin's restaurant was open until past midnight.
Wherever people craved pho at night, they had to go through the alarm, but Mr. Thin still calmly grabbed the noodles and made jokes...
Ms. Vinh Quyen believes that we are lacking stories created from the culture of pho itself. That is also something to keep in mind if we want to turn pho into a meaningful heritage.
Pho Hanoi and Pho Nam Dinh have just been named in the list of National Intangible Cultural Heritage - Photo: NAM TRAN
Looking forward to Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 in Korea
Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 in Seoul
The Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 in Seoul, South Korea is scheduled to take place on October 5 and 6, 2024 with the theme "Enjoy Pho, Discover Vietnam". The program is co-organized by Tuoi Tre newspaper, Saigontourist Group, under the direction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee.
The program is supported by the Embassy of Vietnam in Seoul (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), the Trade Promotion Agency (Ministry of Industry and Trade), the Department of Industry and Trade of Ho Chi Minh City, the Association of Vietnamese People in Korea, and the Association of Vietnamese Enterprises in Korea.
After the first successful event in Tokyo, Japan, Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 chose Korea as the next destination on its journey to promote Vietnamese cuisine internationally.
Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 was launched in July with many rich and attractive contents such as Discovering Vietnamese Pho in Korea for pho lovers to review pho restaurants, tell stories of pho cooks in Korea to post on social networks; the Korean Youth Discovering Vietnamese Pho contest for young Koreans to write articles sharing their experiences of Vietnamese pho...
The highlight of Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 will be the Vietnamese Pho Festival taking place over two days at Banghwa Neighborhood Park, Seoul with a scale of about 80 booths, including 40 pho booths and cuisine from many famous, long-standing pho brands from Vietnam.
The festival also dedicates space to introduce pho as well as its characteristics, a series of exchange activities between Vietnamese and Korean cuisine...
Within the framework of the festival, there is also a business matching activity, creating opportunities for Vietnamese businesses operating in the food, foodstuff, and culinary sectors to participate in direct trade connections with Korean import-export businesses.
Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 also receives support from the Department of Cultural Diplomacy and UNESCO, the Department of Northeast Asia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Vietnam - Korea Friendship Association, the Korea - Southeast Asia Economic Cooperation Association (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Korea), the Korean Cuisine Association, and the Association of Vietnamese Alumni in Korea.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/de-di-san-pho-khong-la-cai-mac-cho-dep-20240816092902994.htm
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