The Curious History of Phở: Vietnam’s Most Iconic Dish

When it comes to Vietnamese cuisine, there’s no dish as iconic as phở. It’s simple in concept– bone broth, rice noodles, spices, and meat. But wildly complex in flavor, with deep umami and notes of acid, spice, warmth, and smoke. Phở stalls line of the sidewalks of Hanoi, and each has a unique recipe that has been fine tuned through the generations.

But how did this national dish of Vietnam come to be? As with most food history, there’s a bit of debate….

Let’s dive into the different theories on the origins of phở.

Theory 1: The History of Phở starts in China!

The first noodles in Vietnam can be traced back to 111BC, which was the start of the East Han Dynasty’s rule over the region. This kicked off nearly 1,000 years of Chinese dynastic rule over the northern Vietnamese people. During this time, the Chinese tried to impose their language, customs, culture, and ways of life onto the Vietnamese, but the locals fervently resisted. (Learn more HERE!)

The Vietnamese eventually regained independence in 939, but certain Chinese customs remained. Including the prominence of the humble noodle.

Fast forward to the 20th century— civil war in China caused a substantial migration of Chinese workers to Vietnam. These workers wanted a taste of home, and luckily noodles were already popular in Vietnam. So they adapted “ngua yuk fan” (translates to cow meat noodles) to local ingredients, and voila! There’s the history of pho!

Theory 2: The History of Phở Is Credited to the French….Part 1

While there’s little disagreement that China introduced noodles to Vietnam, beef was a rarity. Cattle were working animals that were used for plowing rice fields. Not food.

Crab, fish, poultry, and pork were more common. Some Phở experts say the dish started with bánh đa cua, a crab soup served with flat rice noodles, and xáo, a soup made with vermicelli noodles and thinly sliced buffalo.

When the French entered the scene in the early 20th century, they noticed the abundance of cows. Never mind rice… they wanted the steak! Vietnamese people started adding beef to bánh đa cua and xáo, and voila! The history of Phở!

(The French are also responsible for the Banh Mi! Click HERE to learn more!)

Not so fast… there’s just one more story to tell….

Theory 3: The History of Phở Is Credited to the French…. Part 2

The french brought their love of beef in many forms– one being “pot au feu.” This dish consists of beef and vegetables slowly boiled over fire. The long boil time leads to a rich, nutritious broth.

Locals added their own ingredients to pot au feu, and voila! Phở is born!

But which theory is right?

Food historians are quite sure that the Chinese introduced noodles and that the French popularized beef. The concept of boiling a bunch of ingredients in water to make soup has been around since the discovery of fire. Vietnam has had a storied history of conflict, invasion, and perseverance. It’s not far fetched to think that all the theories have some truth.

Phở is like the country it’s from– influenced and shaped from outside cultures, but uniquely (and deliciously) Vietnamese at it’s core.