Updated 10-16-11. There are three elements that make up a bowl of Vietnamese pho: the broth, the rice noodles and the meat. If you are a pho lover, you may be a fan of the noodles or of the way the meat, herbs and spices play together in your mouth as you slurp your pho to the last drop. There’s no denying that the pho broth is the most important element of Vietnamese pho. Pho broth is the soul of the dish. It is what makes the dish Vietnamese pho.
Giving Meaning to the Soul of Pho
Can you imagine Vietnamese pho without its broth? It is probably impossible to do so. You may try to cook up all kinds of soups, pour it in the bowl and try to call it pho. You may resort to be creative with different meats and adding new herbs and garnishing to the mix, but it’s just not pho. The pho broth is what gives the soup its distinct character. There’s not necessarily only one way to make pho broth, but a good pho broth must follow certain rules and standards.
In fact, the key to a successful bowl of pho is the creation of a good pho broth. Pho lovers judge the bowl of pho served to them in a restaurant by sipping the broth first without putting in any seasoning or garnishing. If there’s any doubt about the quality of a bowl of pho, just take a sip of the broth to find out. If the pho broth is good, we feel immediately at home; the familiar, the warm, the good, the satisfying. But if the broth is not up to expectation, the pho eating experience becomes labored, beside the fact that one is wasting the time and money with this darn bowl of pho.
You’d be surprised, but it’s far too easy to make a bad bowl of pho. The only way to do it is to make the pho broth unpalatable. You can be forgiven for serving undercooked or overcooked banh pho (the pho noodle). You can be forgiven for not having all the right meat types or garnishing. But mess up the pho broth and your pho is ruined. Conversely, serving a great pho broth will make up for your other shortcomings many times over. There is no perfect technique for making it, but what technique is there must be done carefully to create the perfect broth, with the right taste.
How to Make Pho Broth
There is no single perfect technique for creating good pho broth. The Vietnamese always say that the best pho you will ever taste is the one cooked by your own mother (plus maybe one or two favorite restaurants), and she will have her own ideas of how good pho broth is made. These ideas, in turn, are ones that have been handed down to her by her own mother. Thus, no two bowls of pho made in two separate kitchens will ever taste the same.
But most pho recipes you will find have many common elements, from the ingredients that go into the broth to the length of time required in making the broth. Vietnamese culinary experts Andrea Nguyen‘s and Mai Pham‘s beef pho recipes call for the following ingredients:
- Yellow onions
- Ginger
- Marrow-rich beef bones and beef knuckle bones
- Additional beef chunks
- Star anise
- Cloves
- Salt
- Fish sauce
- Yellow rock sugar
Here’s a generic process. Many recipes call for preparation using two stockpots of boiling water. The beef bones and chunks are parboiled in one pot in high heat for up to five minutes. This is to remove all the fat and impurities in the beef. Andrea Nguyen recommends rinsing the bones in warm water before being transferred into the second stockpot, while Mai Pham says that it is fine to just transfer the bones and the chunks without rinsing.
In any case, the second stockpot is kept at a simmer for an hour and a half, with any scum rising to the top ladled out regularly. The spices are then added, either as they are or wrapped in cheesecloth. Before they are put into the broth, the onions and the ginger need to be charred in open flame. Mai Pham recommends toasting the star anise and the cloves lightly in a dry pan before they are put into the pot. Again techniques vary, but one can see the care and variations involved to make a good pho broth.
After the hour and a half has passed, the boneless beef chunks are removed. The remaining broth is allowed to simmer for another hour and a half or so. The pho broth is then strained and then seasoned with fish sauce, salt and rock sugar. At this point, the pho broth should look clear and free from impurities. It is perfectly acceptable for it to taste strong and even salty at this point as well because the taste will be toned down once the broth is poured over the unseasoned rice noodles and meat.
The recipe described above is the most generally accepted way of cooking pho broth. But since no two bowls of pho made from two separate kitchens ever taste the same, techniques on how to make the broth vary from kitchen to kitchen. Some cooks, for instance, do not put fish sauce in the broth but instead leave it up to the eater to season it as he or she pleases. Some cooks also skip on adding beef chunks into the simmering broth and rely on the flavor of the marrow dissolving into the broth.
Time Is Essential in Cooking Pho Broth
Perhaps the one thing that turns people off from making their own pho at home is the amount of time it takes to create the pho broth. There are stories of people hailing from Vietnamese immigrant parents all over the Internet, which say that their own mothers have given up making pho because of the time needed to cook it. If they want pho, they all go to a restaurant that serves pho to fulfill their craving for the dish.
How long should it take for beef bones to simmer in order to come up with a good pho broth? Mai Pham and Andrea Nguyen both recommend at least three hours to simmer the broth, but there are other recipes that state that the beef bones must be boiled gently for six to eight hours. For restaurant-quality pho, the time required to simmer the broth can take up to 12 hours or more.
Why is it necessary for the boiling to take that long? The explanation is simple: It takes time for the marrow in the bones to dissolve into the water. You cannot force it with shorter but harder boiling because a hard boil distorts the flavor of the pho broth. The flavor of the marrow is the essence of the broth; it must be brought out gently and doing so takes time.
The time it takes to create pho broth is definitely worth it, though, and you will end up with a broth that is so tasty you will want to slurp up every last drop. Some people resort to buying so-called pho broth cubes or canned pho broth, but the taste is just not the same. It is thin and watery compared to homemade or restaurant-made pho broth. I know, I know. Those are just quick fixes for a quick pho but I just had to mention them.
Pho is not pho without its broth. The broth is the element that gives pho its life and soul. If you can enjoy the pho broth wholeheartedly, then the rest of the ingredients in the bowl will be enjoyable too.
What would a taco pho look like and...
{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
This article is just dumb long. Please leave out unnecessary info and show simple detailed instructions on how to make the broth.
Jeff: Thanks for your suggestion. Actually this article is not meant to teach people how to make pho broth. You may want to check out the recipes from this article:
Top Pho Bo and Pho Ga Recipes You Must Try Yourself.
How come when i cook the bones to make the soup base, my soup turns ivory right? Not clear.. It’s like a white soup that i can’t see more than 1/2 inch down?
How do i acheieve the clear soup??
Hello Hung: The key to clear pho broth is the parboiling of the bones. To borrow Andrea Nguyen’s instructions on parboiling bones for pho,
“Parboil bones. Place bones in stockpot (minimum 12-quart capacity) and cover with cold water. Over high heat, bring to boil. Boil vigorously 2 to 3 minutes to allow impurities to be released. Dump bones and water into sink and rinse bones with warm water. Quickly scrub stockpot to remove any residue. Return bones to pot.”
I can’t explain your “white” or “ivory” soup but you do need to parboil to get a clear pho broth. Good luck.
Hi Hung: You said “… I did parboil the bone for 10-15 minutes.. very little residue. But as i boil the soup.. the water becomes milky…”
Without addition information, and the specifics of your pot’s content, I can only suggest the following:
Once you start with new water, first bring it to boil over high heat, then lower the flame to gently simmer. During this time, use a ladle to skim the scum on the surface. Once simmering, add the remaining broth ingredients and cook 1 1/2 hours, or however long your recipe calls for. Then do whatever else your according to your recipe.
Again without specific details, I suggest that after parboiling, you bring it to a boil, then simmer and skim the scums. If you’re already doing this, then I’m not sure what else I can suggest. You sure you don’t have any “secret” ingredients in there that you didn’t share with us?
Is it absolutely neccessary to have a clear broth? I ask because I’ve seen recipes that don’t require par-boiling the bones which makes for a more “murky” broth, or I assume? Will this affect the taste? Honestly, I’m just an average Joe that loves Pho and looks and esthetics aren’t on my top list of Pho greatness (compared to flavor and ingredients, which I care most about).
Hi Craig: Yes there are many recipes that you can find online nowadays. That is not to say all of them are good and valid pho recipes. I would suggest you use recipes by the more respected food authors. But even so, do notice if the author really did describe his/her recipe as “fusion” or something similar, in which case the recipe is definitely not authentic.
I think most of us would agree that, regardless of how average you may be
, food should be enjoyed with all your senses, right? For pho, the bowl served to you should meet certain standards to be considered good quality pho, and clear broth is one of those qualities. “Murky” broth has its place in the world of noodle dishes, but pho is not one of those dishes. Pho broth should be clear from the simmering pot.
Just like any other crafts, making pho requires certain skills to make it right, not just in your personal kitchen to serve a few, but in a commercial kitchen to serve many paying patrons, day in and day out. I think you should eat only pho with clear broth when served. This article may help: “Pho Broth: The Soul of Vietnamese Pho.”
I think this article is PHENOMENAL!! I didn’t realize that one should take hours to simmer the beef bones. I think it’s very important to learn some history about this magnificent dish. Thank you so much, I absolutely love Pho after tasting it for the 1st time about 4yrs ago. Now I’d like to try it at home!
Hi jr: For the best taste it is best to simmer the bones, but many people do not/cannot do this anymore. But that should not prevent you from making your own great tasting pho at home. If you have trouble making your own good pho broth at home, try the Quoc Viet option. Their products may help you. See my article “Quick Beef Pho Recipe with Quoc Viet Foods’ Pho Soup Base.” Good luck.
The cause of white or ivory broth is too high temperature during boiling. The high temp emulsifies the marrow causing the white color. Its like taking a blender to the marrow and broth.
You don’t want to actually boil the bones. You want to very gently simmer. VERY GENTLY.
Hello PT: I agree. It’s really simple for those starting out. I always suggest to people who have unclear broth problem: you need to parboil the bones and meat first, then wash and bring them to a boil again. After that, simmer and skim the scums.
You say to char the garlic but I think you meant the ginger? There’s no garlic on your ingredients list!
I cannot believe that I can feel the smell of Pho in my room when I read your writing:) Yummy!
hi i was wondering how long is pho broth good for, if you refrigerate it?
Hi Alexis: Good catch, I did mean the ginger. It’s been changed. Thanks!
Hi melody: If you refrigerate your broth immediately after it cools down, I think it should last for 7 days or more in the refrigerator. The drawback is you’ll lose the initial fresh fragrance of the spices over time, but this is a minor drawback; no big deal. Assuming you’re making a big batch of broth (who would go through the trouble and then make only a small amount?) you can also try portioning your broth into smaller portions and freeze those, leaving only what you’ll enjoy in the next few days in the refrigerator. This way you can reheat what you want, and the frozen broth can be kept a long long time.
Hi Ann Do: Wow thank you for saying that! I would include pho fragrance with my website to all readers if there’s a technology to do that!
How do you make vegeterian pho?
I am vegeterian, How do you make vegeterian pho?
Hi Ellie: Making vegan pho is quite easy, and much cheaper than either beef or chicken pho. You can read this article here: Top Pho Bo and Pho Ga Recipes You Must Try Yourself. Good luck.
I’ve been starting to try to make my own pho broth at home. I use beef leg bones, knuckles and eye of round meat. My question is this – should the broth become gelatinous when refrigerated? Everytime I’ve brought pho home from a restaurant, the broth remains a liquid when refrigerated.
Hi Gene: A gelatinous broth when refrigerated is the sign of a very good and hearty broth, with good quality ingredients that can only be found in home-made broths and soups. So your broth is just fine. In fact that’s the way it should be. Your restaurant bought broth remains as a liquid because the restaurant probably did not use bone, marrow and cartilage in making it. Keep doing what you’re doing, it sounds tasty.
Thanks Cuong for reassuring me. After several batches of pho broth, there still seems to be something missing from the all around flavor compared to my favorite restaurants. I would hate to think that it’s MSG!! Any thoughts?
Gene: Do you have some good fish sauce in your recipe? If not try adding some. And how about sa sung as mentioned in an Andrea Nguyen’s post Pho Secret Ingredients: Dried Earthworms (Sa Sung)? Anyway in general, fish sauce, MGS, and a few others may get you the umami flavor you want.
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