Food and Culinary Pho

A good bowl of Pho starts with good beef stock. I like to make mine from scratch, using meaty soup bones that I simmer in 4 quarts of water. To the stockpot I add coarsely chopped carrots, celery, and onions, along with a couple of bay leaves and a generous measure of salt and pepper. When the pot comes to a boil, I turn the heat way down and allow it to gently simmer for a couple of hours. Once the stock is done, I strain away the vegetable remains with a colander, and then I pour the broth through a finer mesh sieve to remove the smaller particles. The result is about 10 cups of nice, clear, savory beef stock that can be used for any recipe.

Pho Broth:

10 cups beef stock

1 large onion, thickly sliced, oven charred

1 large knob ginger root, thickly sliced, oven charred

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

¼ cup nuoc mam (Asian fish sauce)

2 tablespoons sugar

Pho Spices:

1 cinnamon stick

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

3 star anise

3 cardamom pods

6 whole cloves

Bring beef stock to a boil in a large soup kettle. Preheat oven broiler. Arrange onion and ginger slices on a baking sheet and brush with oil. Place under the broiler for about 8 to 10 minutes, until they begin to char and blacken. Remove from broiler and add to broth pot. Add nuoc mam, sugar, and Pho spices. Ideally, spices should be tied in a cheesecloth or mesh pouch, however they may also be added loose and strained away later. Simmer on very low heat for about 1 hour. When the broth is finished, you should have about 8 cups remaining.

Soup Ingredients:

8 cups pho broth, simmering hot

4 portions rice noodles, soaked according to package directions.

1 pound tender boneless beef, raw, sliced paper thin

4 cups bean sprouts

1 bunch mint

1 bunch basil

1 bunch cilantro

4 limes, cut into wedges

4 chili peppers, seeded and thinly sliced

Condiments:

Hoisin sauce

Sriracha

To assemble the bowls, place one portion of rice noodles in the bottom of each bowl. Top with thinly sliced raw beef. Arrange bean sprouts, mint, basil, cilantro, chili peppers, and limes on a serving platter. Pour 2 cups of simmering broth over the noodles and meat. Add sprouts, herbs and chili peppers according to taste. The steaming hot broth will cook all the ingredients perfectly. Squeeze in fresh lime, and add hoisin and/or sriracha to taste. Serves 4.

(By Celeste Heiter from www.thingsasian.com)

Food and Culinary

Some 70 per cent of Vietnam’s population is engaged in agriculture, which uses over 20 per cent of the country’s area and produces 15 per cent of its GDP.

Vietnam has two huge deltas: the Mekong in the south and the Red River in the north. From time immemorial the Vietnamese have known how to build dykes and avoid flooding, creating more land for wet –rice cultivation. Thousands of kilometres of dykes have been built along the Red River to protect this vast fertile delta and its population.

Recently my friend Huong Do and I visited her uncle, who is a farmer in Hai Duong province in the very heart of the Red River delta. The host, Mr. Hien, was very enthusiastic about showing us rural life.

Generally they cultivate two types, sticky rice and ordinary rice. The first is used for special events and ceremonies such as Tet ( lunar New Year) and weddings.

Talking about wet-rice-cultivation, Mr. Hien recites a Vietnamese proverb:’Nhat nuoc, nhi phan, tam can, tu giong’. This translates as ‘First one needs water,then manure,then diligence, and finally high quality seed’. ‘In the north we have two rice crops and one subsidiary one, according to the weather’, he said.

The winter –spring crop begins in the 12th lunar month and finishes in the fourth. The summer –autumn one lasts from the sixth to the 10th lunar month. After these crops there is time for the land to heal and we plant maize,taro, potato and sweet potato’.

To Start a crop we have to prepare the land. We empty the water from each field. Then we plough deep and rake it carefully with the help of the buffalo. The buffalo is well cared for and respected in the same way that many foreigners care about dogs’.

There are three things that are critical to every Vietnamese farmer’s life: purchasing a buffalo, getting married and building a house.

‘In order to prepare the land we put down fertiliser, either natural or chemical.water is constantly needed too’.’Different varieties of rice are very important.

Normally we select the best species from previous crops, using techniques passed down through generations. “In order to germinate it we put the paddy in a jute sack and soack it in water for 24 hours. We then take it out of the water and arrange it in a dark, damp place to facilitate germination. After 12 hours we repeat the process.

In cool winter weather straw ash is mixed with the paddy in order to keep it warm. When the roots reach two to three centimetres you can sow rice in a small prepared area.

During this period the young rice plants need water, but not too much. After one month you pick the young shoots and transplant the rice seedling to another field. ‘Working the fields requires diligence, During the three- and-a- half months of rice development you have to constandy watch your field! You need to pull out any weeds growing with the rice. This work is normally reserved for women.

There has to be water in time for each period of development of the rice’.

The ethnic minorities in mountainous areas practice wte- rice-cultivation on terraces.

It is not until you actually take off your shoes, roll up your trousers and muck in that you really appreciate the skill and energy required to harvest rice.

As Mr Hien says,’when the rice is mature the whole family has to work. We cut the rice with sickles and bring it home by ox cart.

Fortunately, machines are now used for separating the paddy and straw. Last year we had a big harvest. This year we have had to work very hard due to floods’.

With a trace of sadness Hien adds that the farmer’s life is till difficult. ‘We depend on rice but if the price is too low there is no profit. The government should pay more attention to our life, to build processing zones for agricultural products and find markets for us’.

Famers in the south harvest three crops a year and the wet-rice-cultivation technique is also different.

Written by Ha pham from www.thingsasian.com

Food and Culinary Hanoi

I arrived in Hanoi late afternoon and was transferred to my boutique hotel Hanoi Elegance 3 in the old quarter. After shopping for silk on Hang Gai, I continued walking towards the direction of Hoan Kiew Lake. At the intersection of two of the busiest streets, I found a nice restaurant called Little Hanoi (21 Hang Gai 7:30 AM to 11 PM). It had an international menu for the lovely simple café. Long ceiling to floor windows opened to the streets let the breeze in for such a hot evening.

I ordered a banana flower salad and tempura prawn in tamarind sauce. With my lime juice,I savoured the nice dinner with the unique ambiance that I could only describe as noisy. Motorbikes traversed non-stop and there was a small accident outside our restaurant with 2 parties arguing fiercely. The car spotlights, honking, traffic noise and the fast and furious Vietnamese language added together, not without an exotic touch, made me feel like I was eating in the middle of the street. It was indeed a whole new dining experience that opened my trip for the next 10 days.

The next day after viewing a beautiful restored 19th century tube house (87 Ma May), I walked across the street to Tamarind Café (80 Ma May, 6 AM to midnight) to sample some of the best vegetarian dishes in town. I ordered a passion fruit juice that came with broken black seeds on the bottom of the glass. I was sure it would release enough passiflorine to help me sleep well tonight. Then my appetizer was vegetarian spring roll followed by the main course, stir-fried pasta with wild mushroom and basil. The place was casual and quiet with beautiful hardwood furniture and colourful, and very comfortable cushions. A tropical uplift compared to the motorbike swamp last night.

One night after a hard day of shopping, I took a taxi to the Emperor Restaurant. It was now called Club de l’Oriental (22 Tong Dan). The taxi passed by Hilton Hotel near Opera House. It was quiet and dark on the street and definitely smart to go there safely in a taxi. The grand entrance was something to behold. Two sets of heavy automatic doors in sculpted wood gave a view to a water oasis in between. It was through the water-tunnel crossed with an imitated tropical garden experience before reaching the reception. I was given the choices of table, balcony or open kitchen bar. I chose the last one as I was dining alone. Service was attentive and menu was ridiculously esoteric with US$ 650 shark’s fins, or abalone to US$ 15 freshly order-made Vietnamese salad roll. I ordered what I thought was reasonable: steamed tiger prawns in passion fruit sauce (prawns could be bigger) and stir-fried pumpkin leaves with garlic (delicious common market / home cooking). I was surprised they did not even have a chocolate cake somehow for dessert. So I had to settle for none. However, I was treated to the interesting open-kitchen view of how to make the perfect rice paper given all the time in the world. Just like the place, elegant and classy, the chefs cooked in a languid way.

Koto Restaurant was situated near the Temple of Literature (59 Van Mieu, 7 AM to 3 PM daily, 6 AM to 9 PM Fri-Sun). This Australian non-profit establishment gave street and disadvantaged youth an opportunity to learn about food preparation and serving at the restaurant so they can eventually have a better life and career having these learned skills. I sat at a low table on the 2nd floor, on a very comfortable red sofa, sipping my beautiful clear passion fruit juice. A courteous young man brought my bowl of Bun Cha (BBQ pork in a soup-based sauce with vermicelli and herbs). Then for dessert, he brought the small blackboard written with chalk delicious sweet names. I ordered my chocolate ganache cake and enjoyed every bit of it.

I was on the Valentine Junk overnight at the World Natural Heritage Site Halong Bay. The lunch and dinner that I took on board were fantastic. They were all specially prepared by the excellent chefs. Attentions were placed onto the food taste as well as the variations of regional cooking of Vietnamese fair. The food carving decorations using cucumber, carrot, tomato, apple etc. on the side of the plate added to the luxurious touch. I had a freshly steamed Vietnamese jumbo prawn with lime and sea salt. Then I also had a green papaya salad, crispy spring roll just to name a few. All were great except the squid which needed ginger to take the fishy smell away. The spectacular scenery of Halong Bay added to the ambiance of the lovely meals.

I have heard about Highway 4 Restaurant before I came to Hanoi and I actually booked a cooking lesson there (5 Hang Tre, 8 AM to 1 AM). To test out the food, I went on a Friday night and it was busy with no attendant showing me a table. The top balcony was all full, with Australian and European tourists drinking beer and singing loudly. I sat myself on a low table and a rattan sofa with flat cushions. For drinks, they had almost everything except non-alcoholic. I managed to get an ice tea which I downed in a few minutes since the dishes were so salty. Stir-fried morning glory was a standard. The fiery frog legs sates were a great surprise. Everyone around the place kept ordering drinks and I guessed that was from the intended overdose of fish sauce in the dishes. I did learn on the next day at the cooking class the generosity of salt and fish sauce in the 3 vegetarian dishes I made: “the Earth”, Vegetarian Spring Rolls, Banana Flower Salad, Tofu sautéed with Spring Vegetables. Overall, the impression of this place was hip, casual that needed a better service. The market tour for cooking class was fun and wet, and my teacher was cocky with a weird sense of humour.

Of course, I saved the best restaurant review to the last. After a slightly disappointed visit to Club de l’Oriental, I asked my hotel concierge to recommend a place that had great Vietnamese food, a nice view and traditional Vietnamese music. She called and reserved a table for me at Dinh Lang Thuy Ta by Hoan Kiew Lake. When I arrived, there was a touristy café on the ground floor but I took the stone staircase on the side up to the 2nd floor. The restaurant was in a long classical structure of a cruising boat with wide windows showing the beautiful night view of the lake. All attendants wore traditional Vietnamese costume and the interior of this restaurant was decorated lavishly. The extensive menu featured all the delicacies of regional cooking of Hanoi, Hue and Saigon. I ordered the lotus-stem salad (came with crackers), sautéed frog with vegetables in curry sauce, a peas sprout soup in fish broth and finished the lovely dinner with jasmine agar-agar. During the hour-long dinner, I was treated to a live traditional music concert performed by 3 musicians and 2 singers. (7-9 PM for musical performance every night) Traditional renditions of Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese songs all sounded very exotic under the orchestration using Vietnamese stringed instruments and flutes. It was an intimate and a very enjoyable dining experience. Why not then walk over to the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre to see the unique art form after dinner?

Written by victor wong from www.thingsasian.com

Food and Culinary

In the quiet fishing village of Phan Thiet, anchovies and salt are fermented to create a liquid said to have some unusual properties - able to cure sore throats, aid divers and improve singers’ performances.

Fish sauce, the extremely pungent and salty amber liquid, is a staple in Vietnamese cuisine, used as an ingredient in cooking and as a condiment.

The southern resort island of Phu Quoc is possibly Vietnam’s most famous fish sauce-making area. But Phan Thiet, on Vietnam’s south-central coast, is also well-known for its top-grade product, produced the traditional way.

Phan Thiet’s anchovy fishing season lasts from the beginning of April to August, according to the lunar calendar. During this period, local fishermen can catch tons of fish within the space of only a few hours.

In the lunar month of August, the anchovies have less fat, are less scaly and their flesh is softer. These fish can be fermented into the finest-quality fish sauce with the highest protein levels.

Phan Thiet fish sauce makers use pure sea salt, mixing one basket of sea salt with three baskets of fish.

Each basket weighs about 30 kilograms and care must be taken not to tear the fish when mixing them with the salt.

On Phu Quoc Island and in other fish sauce-making areas, fish are fermented in wooden barrels but in Phan Thiet, clay jars are used to make fish sauce.

Each jar has a hole near the bottom, plugged to keep everything inside. Straw is placed inside the jar near the hole to act as a filter when the liquid is removed.

Bamboo mats, held down by rocks, are used to cover the jars, which are set out in the sun.

After one night, the plugs will be removed to allow the grey liquid to flow out of the jar.

The liquid is collected and poured back into the jar. The process is repeated numerous times over 10 to 12 months until the liquid is a dark red color with a strong taste.

The liquid is used as the basis of a variety of fish sauce products that are sold throughout Vietnam.

Popular throughout Southeast Asia, fish sauce is an indispensable part of everyday meals in Vietnam.

One unique character of the sauce is that its fishy odor disappears when it is mixed with other ingredients.

But in Phan Thiet, fish sauce-makers can take their product a few steps further. A more elaborate fish sauce-making technique is used to make a finer kind of fish sauce known as “mam nhi”.

Making “mam nhi” requires much more work than making the basic fish sauce. For this product, the fish is steeped in salt overnight, then finely ground and put into a jar.

After about two months, the amber “mam nhi” can be siphoned out.

The most expensive type of fish sauce is “mam lu”, which fish sauce makers treat like fine wine, storing it and regarding it as a prized asset.

“Mam lu”, made from the purest kinds of “mam nhi”, fermented for as long as 10 years or more, can be an elusive product to find.

The sauce has a strong and distinctive taste and is considered a potent medicine rather than a condiment.

“Mam lu” is said to raise a person’s body temperature. Fishermen believe a little of this sauce held in the mouth will help them dive in cold water for longer.

“Cai luong” (traditional Vietnamese opera) artists also use the sauce to help clear their throats and enable them to reach the high notes and hold them for longer.

People with sore throats are also advised to drink a small spoonful of the sauce for an overnight cure