The unique features of Nam Dinh pho have just become intangible cultural heritage.

Pho Nam Dinh has just been recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage. Most diners only know about Pho Co when talking about Pho Nam Dinh. However, Pho Nam Dinh is quite diverse, with many famous long-standing Pho shops with their own unique characteristics.

Nam Dinh beef noodle soup has long been famous throughout the country. Nam Dinh people have brought the craft of making pho to all provinces and cities across the country and gradually built and affirmed the Nam Dinh pho brand. Recently, Nam Dinh pho was recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage in the form of folk knowledge. According to the intangible cultural heritage recognition dossier, the first people to sell pho in Nam Dinh were identified as people from Van Cu village (Dong Son commune, Nam Truc district), then surrounding villages such as Giao Cu and Tay Lac also sold pho.

Most Pho shops in Nam Dinh only sell beef pho and usually do not sell other dishes. Here, the most popular are rare beef pho, rare beef pho, pan-fried pho, beef pho with wine sauce... Of which, the traditional beef pho in Nam Dinh is rare beef pho. The owner of Pho Co Hiep (Nam Dinh City) said that it is easy to recognize the difference of Nam Dinh pho. Nam Dinh pho is always rich, does not have the smell of beef and has the smell of fish sauce. In Nam Dinh, the secret of cooking pho broth is always a part of creating the unique aroma and flavor.

According to 2024 statistics from the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Nam Dinh, the province has nearly 500 pho shops, of which Nam Dinh city and Nam Truc district are where many long-standing shops are concentrated. Here, there are about 1,500 households going to big cities such as Hanoi, Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City... and many other provinces and cities across the country (but mainly big cities) to open pho shops and teach pho.

One of the most sought-after pho dishes in Nam Dinh is pan-fried pho. The beef is stir-fried in hot oil with garlic, mustard greens, tomatoes, onions, carrots and a little pho broth to make the meat more tender. Place the pho noodles in a bowl, place the stir-fried beef on top and pour the broth over, add some onions and coriander to decorate and enhance the aroma of the pho bowl. There is a pan-fried pho restaurant that sells out more than 200 bowls in just one morning.

What keeps diners coming back for pan-fried pho is the sweet broth from the bones, the soft and chewy noodles, and the well-seasoned, tender, and sweet stir-fried beef. A resident of Nam Dinh city said that the most impressive thing about pan-fried pho is the sweet broth, the noodles, and the tender beef.

Mr. Truong Quang Hai - owner of Pho Hai restaurant (Nam Dinh city) - said that to have a bowl of pan-fried pho, he has to prepare the ingredients from 4-5am. Mr. Hai's restaurant is crowded with customers from early morning and is especially crowded from 7-8am. "The most important secret to having a delicious bowl of pho is the standard ingredients. From pho noodles to beef, we have to select very carefully. Especially to have a delicious bowl of pan-fried pho, choosing the beef and preparing it accounts for 80% of the success, the rest is watching the fire and seasoning appropriately", Mr. Truong Quang Hai said.

Nam Dinh Pho Xiu Dip has begun to attract the attention of diners, who want to enjoy it. Previously, Nam Dinh people were used to eating char siu with pho, but it was pho with soup. Gradually, the dish was transformed into pho dip. This dish gradually became an indispensable afternoon snack for Nam Dinh people.

The promotion of Nam Dinh pho is also considered important. In 2024, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism successfully organized the 2024 Pho Festival - Vietnamese Pho Street, attracting tens of thousands of visitors. The festival attracted dozens of pho chefs and culinary experts, gathering 50 booths of branded businesses to participate in the performance, promoting the image and brand of Vietnamese pho from all regions across the country. On this occasion, nearly 50 thousand bowls of pho were served to visitors.

Nam Dinh Pho is recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage, not only the pride of Nam Dinh people but also contributes to enhancing the province's brand, contributing to the development of local economy and tourism, but also creating motivation in preserving and promoting the culinary cultural value of Nam Dinh Pho.

To continue promoting the Nam Dinh pho brand far and wide, raising awareness of the importance of protecting the spiritual values ​​and significance of Nam Dinh pho, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism advised the leaders of Nam Dinh Provincial People's Committee to soon send a document requesting the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to consider reporting to the Prime Minister to allow Nam Dinh province to coordinate in building a dossier to submit to UNESCO to register pho as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity in the near future.

Tienphong.vn

Source: https://tienphong.vn/net-dac-sac-cua-pho-nam-dinh-vua-tro-thanh-di-san-van-hoa-phi-vat-the-post1667747.tpo