Small towns in the south tend to not have much variety when it comes to food. There’s not many foreign places. There’s not many big places. There’s not many good places. Although my University is only about 30 minutes away, it is in the heart of a big city. A 10 minute drive, that used to not lead anywhere but the local Walmart, could lead you to Italian, Mexican, Vietnamese, Thai, and Japanese restaurants. During my first semester, I tried plenty of things I had never had the opportunity to: Poke, Bahn Mi, Pad Thai. I was suddenly able to enjoy foods that I had not known even existed before this. Apart from restaurants and foreign foods, my college dining hall was also the first time I had ever tried mushrooms and omelets. Coming from a family where the most cooking was done on spaghetti nights, I was in completely new territory. I loved everything I tried, but my first experience with foreign foods was the Vietnamese noodle soup called Pho.
Pho and Its Origin
Although there can be many different recipes for Pho, all recipes seem to carry the same main ingredients: Beef or chicken broth, rice noodles, spices, and herbs. It seems simplistic, but this simple list does not fully describe the taste. The broth is rich, the spices and herbs perfectly complementing the meat, and all the different textures- from the tender meat to the crunchy bean roots that tend to come in the garnish (A Brief history of Pho; Huynh).
Despite the plethora of recipes and understanding of the connection of Pho to Vietnamese culture, the exact origins of Pho seem to be unknown. It is agreed that Pho was created in Northern Vietnam, either in the late 19th century or the early 20th century, but Pho is a dish that contains ingredients such as rice noodles and beef, which was not commonly used by the Northern Vietnamese during this time (A Brief History of Pho). Alex Tran, a Vietnamese Chef, believes both the French and Chinese had influences on Pho. The French have a dish called “one pot beef and vegetable stew”, which possesses a similar sound to Pho. Another reason many believe Pho has French origins is because Northern Vietnam did not consume beef regularly; Beef consumption became more popular during the French colonial Times. Similarly, the rice noodles and herbs generally used to make Pho have a connection to the Northern Chinese (Tu). Despite a definite origin, Pho has a very important significance to Vietnamese culture.
Pho in Louisiana Newspapers
Pho was first mentioned in Louisiana Newspapers around the mid to late 1960s, before the end of the Vietnam War. Without meeting Vietnamese people, the Americans first made contact with their foods. In 1967, The Daily Prophet printed a “book in review” section. This book, No Place To Die: The Agony of Vietnam by Hugh Mulligan details a combination of real reporting and descriptions of life in the face of danger during the Vietnam War. Mulligan spent a year in Vietnam, where he details the day-to-day actions that occurred. Near the end of this section, the author mentions Vietnamese food, specifically Vietnamese noodle soup, contains “practically anything that moves” (Smith 30). The subtle racism seems to set the tone for how the public felt about the Vietnamese people. Whether Northern or Southern, society hinted that they were too different.
However, in 1970, an article by The Town Talk in Alexandria wrote an article about the six Vietnamese pilots who went to Alexandria to train. The article seems to allow the pilots to open up about their time in Alexandria, and how they had come to adjust. One of the main adjustments that had to take place was the food. American food is very different from Vietnamese food, and the pilots missed pho and other foods that coincide with their identities. (Dowdy 48). The more society was able to be introduced to the Vietnamese, their view slowly shifted, which is illustrated in the vast differences of these two articles. The subtle racism illustrated in The Daily Prophet compared to how the article in The Town Talk seems to be more open to understanding the Vietnamese people shows how much of an influence societal knowledge is.
As Vietnamese immigrants came to Louisiana after the North invaded Saigon, newspapers began to actually publish pho recipes. The Shreveport Journal in 1975, The Times (Shreveport, Louisiana) in 1981, and The News-Star (Monroe, Louisiana) in 1981 are examples of pho recipes being printed.
Immigration
After the end of the Vietnam War, many Vietnamese people became refugees, and fled to Thailand and the United States. In New Orleans, charities sponsored a thousand Vietnamese immigrants so they could resettle. When settling in New Orleans, they found that this city also had been influenced by its French Colonial times (Jensen). Since the Vietnamese immigrants were working class, they would mostly be found working in restaurants and other jobs during this time (Trinh). With such a cultural convergence, there led to a viet-cajun phenomenon (Farley).
Conclusion
Pho is a Vietnamese delicacy that has a very rich history. With roots in Northern Vietnam, and pieces of French and Chinese ingredients, Pho has become a dish known around the world. Although there are many different versions and recipes of this dish, the travel of Pho details the understanding of Vietnamese people, and their immigration to America.
I would have stayed completely unaware of the complex history of pho if I had never tried it. I still am new to pho as a whole; I’ve only ever had pho from one restaurant- Pho Nola off of Veterans Blvd. Vietnamese immigrants who brought their own unique pho recipes have settled in places across America, and I’m prepared to branch out and discover any new flavors that I can.
References
“A Brief History of Pho: The Delicious Vietnamese Noodle Soup- SB Pho.” SB Pho- Vietnamese Restaurant-Experience Vietnamese Cuisine in Santa Barbara, 8 Nov. 2023.
Claiborne, Craig and Franey, Pierre. “Vietnamese Soup Based on Fresh, Raw Herbs.” The Shreveport Journal, p. 24, 3 Sep. 1975.
Conrad, Dianne. “A Taste of Vietnamese Cooking.” The Times (Shreveport, Louisiana), p. 54, 5 Mar. 1981.
Conrad Dianne. “Vietnamese Bring Own Style to U.S. Kitchen.” The News-Star (Monroe, Louisiana), p.68, 7 Jan. 1981.
Dowdy, Verdis. “South Viet Pilots Training at EAFB Are Successfully Adjusting to Area.” The Town Talk (Alexandria, Louisiana), p.48, 9 Aug. 1970.
Dương, Ngiêm. “The Vietnam War: An Analysis of History, Causes, and Impacts.” INFLUENCE: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENCE REVIEW 5.2 (2023): 346-356.
Farley, David. “Chopsticks and Crawfish.” Trip Out, 22 July 2020.
Huynh, Cuong. “The History and Evolution of Pho: A Hundred Years’ Journey.” LovingPho, Pho Forums, 8 Apr. 2009.
Jensen, Chani. “Beyond Gastronomy: Locating the Vietnamese Population in New Orleans.” Louisiana Folklore Miscellany, vol. 24, Louisiana Folklife Program, 2014.
Smith, A. Miles. “Books In Review.” The Daily Advertiser, p.30, 20 July 1967.
Trinh, Jean. “Vietnamese Immigration and Its Culinary Influence on the United States.” PBS SoCal, 29 Nov. 2017.
Tu, Lili. “Pho: The humble soup that caused an outrage.” BBC, 22 Apr. 2021.
Tully, John Day, Matthew Masur, and Brad Austin, eds. Understanding and teaching the Vietnam war. University of Wisconsin Pres, 2013.
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