Vietnam is a small country in Southeast Asia. In comparison with the United States, Vietnam is smaller than the State of California. Though small, it is a country which was established thousands years ago. The country has three various regions: the North, the Central and the South and they differ in climate, terrain and natural resources. These differences determine the kinds of food available and
the cooking style of each region. The specialty of South Vietnam (Saigon) is HU TIEU that is a rice noodle soup cooked with pork or chicken and served with row bean sprouts. In Central Vietnam (Hue), it is a BUN BO HUE that is a peppery beef soup with rice noodles. In North Vietnam (Ha Noi), the specialty is PHO that is considered as a national dish of Vietnam. There are 19 varieties of beef noodle soups, depending on how you like to order. The main ingredients of PHO consist of: the broth made from beef bones, beef, rice noodle and different kinds of spices as ginger, star arise, parsley, green and white onions, chopped or shredded. PHO usually is served with a side plate full of fresh bean sprouts, special basil leaves lime and sliced chili pepper. PHO is consumed at any time of the day. It is believed by the people to be a very healthy dish. It is used to cure a fever or a cold. Treating illness with food is very common in Vietnam. Traditionally a cup of freshly brewed coffee with sweetened condensed milk, either hot or with ice is served after a hot bowl of PHO. PHO is considered as the most dishes in Vietnamese Cuisine.
