Comments on: Pho Broth: The Soul of Vietnamese Pho

By: Cuong

Cuong — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 05:33:23 +0000

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!

By: Cuong

Cuong — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 05:31:34 +0000

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.

By: Cuong

Cuong — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 04:04:11 +0000

Hi Alexis: Good catch, I did mean the ginger. It’s been changed. Thanks!

By: melody

melody — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 02:53:04 +0000

hi i was wondering how long is pho broth good for, if you refrigerate it?

By: Ann Do

Ann Do — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 03:02:04 +0000

I cannot believe that I can feel the smell of Pho in my room when I read your writing:) Yummy!

By: Alexis

Alexis — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 01:05:13 +0000

You say to char the garlic but I think you meant the ginger? There’s no garlic on your ingredients list!

By: Cuong

Cuong — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 16:08:08 +0000

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.

By: PT

PT — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 08:36:11 +0000

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.

By: Cuong

Cuong — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 21:20:09 +0000

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.

By: jr

jr — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 23:21:24 +0000

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!