‘Pho’ Festival was held for the first time in Nam Dinh and attracted thousands of people and tourists to enjoy Vietnamese cuisine.
Having attended the 2022 ‘Pho’ Festival, Ivana Judiakova expressed her excitement at enjoying ‘pho’ at this year's Pho Festival.
She noted that she heard and known many stories about Vietnamese cuisine. In 2022, she came to Nam Dinh and learned about the story of Vietnamese ‘pho’. She really loves Vietnamese cuisine in general but especially enjoys ‘pho’. “‘Pho’ is the biggest mark in Vietnamese culinary culture,” added Ivana Judiakova.
She also said not only herself but also her relatives also love Vietnamese ‘pho’. ‘Pho’ is a delicious dish, but the enjoyment of eating ‘pho’ in Vietnam is even more special for her. This year’s festival is very unique because of the many people who came here today to enjoy ‘pho’ together.
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Duong Quoc Nam was present at the festival early in the morning to enjoy the bowls of delicious ‘pho’. |
Attending the 2024 ‘Pho’ Festival, Duong Quoc Nam, Chairman of the Vietnam Young Chefs’ Association, shared: “I have travelled to many places around the world and eaten ‘pho’ in many different localities such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, the Mekong Delta, Hue, and Da Nang. In each region, ‘pho’ is cooked differently with typical flavours.”
Van Cu Village’s ‘pho’ broth has a light taste, and the noodles are sweet, soft, limber, and fragrant. When enjoying a bowl of ‘pho’, the pieces of meat, noodles and broth are mixed together perfectly to create the special flavour of Van Cu ‘Pho’ of Nam Dinh Province.
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Nam Dinh people have a typical ‘pho’ eating culture to enjoy the flavour of each bowl of ‘pho’ to the fullest. |
“Nam Dinh people also have a very special ‘pho’ eating culture. After enjoying one-third of a bowl of ‘pho’, they will pick up the entire bowl to enjoy the ‘pho’ broth. Eating ‘pho’ in this way, you will fully feel the sweetness of the ‘pho’ broth along with the aroma of spices and the sweetness and softness of the noodles. If you have never enjoyed Van Cu ‘pho’ in Nam Dinh Province, you should try this delicious gift once, you will definitely like it.”, Nam said.
Perhaps, people from Van Cu Village are the happiest ones. Being present early in the morning, Co Nhu Trong (from Van Cu Village, Dong Son Commune, Nam Truc District) excitedly shared that his family had been making ‘pho’ for many generations, but he switched to another job. Even so, he still remembers all the steps to make delicious noodles and broth. The love for ‘pho’ penetrates deeply into the blood and hearts of every Van Cu villager.
“I am very excited to attend this year's ‘Pho’ Festival. Through these events, I believe many domestic people and international friends will know about the Van Cu ‘Pho’ brand,” Trong said.
Like many other visitors, Cao Duy Tien, although he is working far from home Quat Lam Commune, Giao Thuy District, Nam Dinh Province, returned to his hometown early on the morning of September 15 to attend the 2024 ‘Pho’ Festival.
Tien shared: “I knew about the ‘Pho’ Festival thanks to a friend in Van Cu Village. Early in the morning, the two of us drove from Hanoi to Nam Dinh in time to attend the festival. This is the first time I have joined a large-scale ‘Pho’ Festival in my hometown.”
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People line up to enjoy ‘pho’. |
“As a local of Nam Dinh Province, even though I still know that ‘pho’ from Nam Dinh is famous, attending the festival today helps me learn better about the ancestor founder of the ‘pho’ village and the cultural values of the national dish. Enjoying ‘pho’ in a festive atmosphere right in my hometown gives me more interesting experiences,” Tien added.
The 2024 ‘Pho’ Festival aims to honour ‘pho’ culinary culture. This is also a chance for tourists and local people to learn and enjoy the flavours of ‘pho’ associated with the culture of regions across the country. The festival also contributes to further promoting ‘pho’ on the world culinary map.
In addition, the series of activities at the 2024 ‘Pho’ Festival also aims to make ‘pho’ become a national brand, associated with tourism development. Through the Festival, the organising board expects to proceed with creating dossier of ‘pho’ culture for becoming an intangible cultural heritage at the national and world level.
