Vegetarian pho is increasingly popular

Phở chay ngày càng được ưa chuộng - Ảnh 1. — Vegetarian pho at a restaurant in Phu My Hung area (District 7, Ho Chi Minh City). Small photo: Group "Nghien an vegeta" with more than 223,000 members and always sharing many vegetarian dishes every day, especially vegetarian pho - Photo: THAO THUONG

This dish not only attracts traditional vegetarians but also conquers gourmet diners looking for a new and healthier experience.

New consumer trends

The popularity of vegetarian pho is evident on social media platforms. For example, the Facebook group “Nghien an veg” with more than 223,000 members regularly shares vegetarian pho recipes and attractive photos. Many members of the group view vegetarian pho as a “healing” dish, bringing a feeling of lightness and comfort to the body.

"Healing food, for me, is vegetarian pho. Every weekend I cook vegetarian pho, I really like to cook broth dishes from vegetables because the broth is light and sweet like squash, luffa, apple, radish, cinnamon, star anise, ginger...

Just that alone has the characteristic aroma of vegetarian pho, everyone," account Dieu Nhi shared on the group.

In big cities like Ho Chi Minh City, vegetarian pho is increasingly dominating the culinary market. Many vegetarian restaurants have added vegetarian pho to their menu and received positive feedback from customers.

In Phu My Hung area (District 7), a famous vegetarian pho restaurant attracts both Vietnamese and international customers, especially Koreans.

Observe, here, vegetarian pho has broth extracted from vegetables. The dish is a combination of many types of mushrooms, tofu and vegetables. The pho broth is sweet from ingredients such as carrots, corn, white radish...

"Our restaurant initially sold several typical Vietnamese vegetarian dishes. Later, wanting to innovate and diversify the dishes, the chef thought of a way to transform the familiar pho dish into vegetarian pho.

Many Vietnamese and Korean people want to have vegetarian pho for breakfast. Previously, in the seventh lunar month, the restaurant was crowded, but now it is crowded every day," said an employee of this restaurant.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Anh, owner of a vegetarian restaurant on Tran Xuan Soan Street (District 7), shared an interesting piece of information: although the restaurant initially targeted middle-aged customers, in reality, 70 - 80% of customers are young people and foreign tourists.

This shows the appeal of vegetarian pho to the younger generation and the dish's ability to attract tourists.

Kim Seo Baram, a Korean-Vietnamese interpreter living in Vietnam, is a typical example of foreigners' love of vegetarian pho.

She shared that she has been "addicted" to eating vegetarian pho at restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City for the past three years, appreciating not only the taste but also the positive effects on health and spirit.

Very trendy "healthy"

The development of vegetarian pho does not stop at attracting customers, but is also demonstrated through the constant creativity in the way it is prepared. Mr. Nguyen Tuan, head chef of a vegetarian restaurant in District 7, with seven years of experience in the vegetarian food industry, said there are countless ways to transform vegetarian pho.

From experimenting with different types of mushrooms to combining a variety of vegetables, Mr. Tuan and many other chefs have contributed to enriching the vegetarian pho menu, satisfying the diverse tastes of diners.

Not only a culinary trend, vegetarian pho is also highly appreciated by experts in terms of nutrition and health.

According to a female culinary expert from the Vietnam Chefs Association (VICA), vegetarian pho provides a lot of fiber from raw vegetables and tofu, helping to strengthen the digestive system.

In addition, ingredients such as mushrooms and tofu in vegetarian pho also provide vegetable protein and many other important nutrients.

Associate Professor, Dr. Lam Vinh Nien, head of the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, highly appreciates vegetarian pho as a dish low in fat and cholesterol, helping to purify the body, good for the digestive system and cardiovascular system.

He emphasized that vegetarian pho is suitable for everyone, especially vegetarians, people who want to lose weight or improve their overall health.

The combination of traditional and innovative flavors, along with the obvious health benefits, has made vegetarian pho an attractive option not only for vegetarians but also for those who want to change their taste and improve their diet.

This reflects a larger trend in modern society: a shift in consumer awareness and behavior towards healthier and more sustainable lifestyles.

With the constant development of food processing technology and the creativity of chefs, vegetarian pho promises to develop and diversify even more in the future.

From a simple variation of a traditional dish, vegetarian pho has become a symbol of innovation in Vietnamese cuisine, and an important part of the increasingly popular trend of green, clean and healthy living.

Try it once, remember it for life

"I have lived in Vietnam for four years. In Korea, very few young people choose to be vegetarian. But since I came to Vietnam to live in the Korean Quarter (some neighborhoods in District 7 - PV), I have been curious about the name vegetarian pho.

Just one day, for a change of taste, I was hooked when I tried vegetarian pho. The broth is clear, the natural sweetness from the vegetables along with the soft and chewy pho noodles. There are also straw mushrooms and tofu, just the right "taste" to help me stay in shape" - said Ms. Min Suh, who works at a fashion brand at Lotte Mart Shopping Center (District 7, Ho Chi Minh City).

Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 in Seoul, Korea will take place on October 5 and 6, 2024 with the theme "Enjoy Pho, Discover Vietnam".

The program is co-organized by Tuoi Tre newspaper and 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.