Pho and enriching with local flavors

The traditional flavor of pho can pave the way and inspire many other follow-up products - Photo: QUANG DINH

In 2012, bartender Pham Tien Tiep at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi created a new flavor for a pho-flavored cocktail. That year, thanks to his pho-flavored cocktail, Pham Tien Tiep won the Diageo Reserve World Class Vietnam international cocktail competition. He has been considered one of the best bartenders in Vietnam for many years.

In addition to pho-flavored cocktails, the Hanoi bartender also created fish sauce-flavored cocktails or other cocktails with chili and lemon flavors. Pho cocktails are gradually becoming popular in many bars across Vietnam and abroad.

Not only pho-flavored cocktails, there is also pho-flavored coffee that attracted young people in Da Lat and Hanoi a year or two ago, or pho-flavored chocolate from Maison Marou whose founders are two French and Japanese guys...

Boss La Viet with a pho-flavored coffee cocktail - Photo: H.THO

Pho cocktails have gone beyond the borders of Vietnam. Ten years later, in 2022, the Vietnamese-origin cocktail has been added to the drink menu of Lahaina Grill, a restaurant in Hawaii that was rated by Tripadvisor as "America's Best Fine Dining Restaurant in 2022".

The Lahaina cocktail is notable for its use of gin, habanero bitters, and pho broth for $19. In addition to the main ingredients, the drink also includes fresh lime, garnished with lemon slices, star anise, and basil.

Now, Vietnamese pho-flavored snacks have entered many supermarkets in the US and many Western countries. Wern-Yuen Tan, CEO of Pepsi Co. in charge of Asia-Pacific, Australia, New Zealand and China, has recognized the story of localization to penetrate the global market of pho-flavored foods.

Hotels introducing Vietnamese delicacies will serve diners at the upcoming Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 in Korea - Made by: THE KIET - MAI HUYEN

Despite only mentioning pho once and in the headline, the CEO has shown the way to conquer global palates through local flavors. This impressive array of flavors is typical of the changing nature of globalization, with multinational companies radically changing their approach, using new technology to cater to local tastes and betting on localization to find new customers and gain market share.

The remaining outlines or scenarios for Vietnamese food and beverage enterprises to exploit the global market are the work of market research firms and Vietnamese enterprises. Or if not, we are forced to find one or several research firms to do the work where they can have better expertise, insight and provide effective solutions.

So have you ever thought about two questions: Which Vietnamese dish is the most popular in the world? Can Vietnamese businesses take advantage of the "popularity" of Vietnamese dishes globally and bring foods and agricultural products into the kitchens and onto the dining tables of foreigners?

Artichoke pho will be introduced to diners at the Vietnam Pho Festival in Seoul, South Korea - Photo: QUANG DINH

Before answering that question, let's trace the journey of Chinese food's infiltration and integration into the North American mainstream over the past nearly 200 years.

In his book "China to Chinatown: Chinese Food in the West," author and anthropologist JAG Roberts, PhD, writes: "Gold was discovered in the Sacramento Valley in 1848. Three years later, the first immigrants from southern China made their way to California. The estimated population in the first year, 1851, was about 25,000."

Roberts continued that the gold miners brought with them cooking ingredients such as rice and flour, along with a pan that Westerners called a wok. The rice or fried noodles were initially served in paper boxes. As the Chinese community grew, Chinese restaurants sprang up.

Ms. Bui Thanh Loan, the third generation of Pho Thin Bo Ho - Hang Tre, takes care of the introduction board at Vietnam Pho Festival 2023 in Japan - Photo: QUANG DINH

Westerners gradually became more familiar with Chinese food in Chinese restaurants in Chinatowns, especially after 1979-1980 when US-China relations broke the ice. "However, the popularity of Chinese food depended on the availability of local ingredients and the convenience of cooking methods," Roberts writes.

Anthropologists also point out that cooking and eating rice regularly at home as a staple food is becoming more and more popular in multi-ethnic societies like the United States. Vietnamese, Chinese, or other Asians eat rice. Italians eat pasta or pizza. Mexicans still eat tacos and other types of cornmeal cakes... Because that is the "national soul" of cuisine.

These days, Vietnamese pho is continuing its journey to promote itself to the world with the international destination of Korea. The national dish can be said to have conquered Korean diners for a long time.

So the story here is that Vietnamese businesses can leverage the "popularity" of this Vietnamese dish to bring foods and agricultural products into kitchens and onto global dining tables. The opportunity awaits.

Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 takes place on October 5 and 6, 2024 at Pie Factory, 441 Gwangnaru-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul (Korea).

The program is co-organized by the Vietnamese Embassy in Korea, Tuoi Tre newspaper, Saigontourist Group, under the direction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee and the coordination of the Trade Promotion Agency of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade, General Association of Vietnamese in Korea, Vietnam Business Association in Korea, Korea - Southeast Asia Economic Cooperation Association (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Korea).

Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 has a performance stage, nearly 70 booths, including more than 40 booths selling pho and Vietnamese and Korean delicacies. Besides, there is a space for cultural experiences, exhibitions, and introductions to Vietnamese culinary culture and tourism.

With the slogan "Enjoy Pho, Discover Vietnam", the program's organizers hope to use Vietnam Pho Festival to create people-to-people diplomacy activities, promote the friendly relations between the two countries, promote culinary culture, and connect trade based on the economic and tourism potentials of Vietnam and Korea.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/pho-va-lam-giau-tu-huong-vi-ban-dia-20241002145316622.htm