Pho

Pho

             Hey, we plan on having dinner together at 7:00 pm, right?" I asked my friend.

" Yeah, but which restaurant?

" Vietnamese restaurant and I will choose for my dinner," I answered. 

" I don't know how you can eat Pho so many times, have you ever get tired of Pho?". My friend asked me. 

Long pause.

" Um..........no, I will never get tired on Pho" I answered. 

" So... why?" my friend asked.

" I don't know yet. " I laughed.

" You are crazy."

Am I crazy?  Why I eat Pho many times and never get tired of that? Why I eat this food? 

I ask myself those questions with some frequency, actually. I eat Pho because it is delicious. However, I realize not just because of that reason so I eat Pho many times. I realize Pho is my favorite food, my country's culture, and Pho is also my memories.

          If I could have a perfect day of eating, this would be it: I’d begin with Pho for breakfast, then have Pho for lunch, and diner as well. I can eat Pho every time and every day. Pho is the first choice when I want something to eat. I am from Viet Nam and Pho is also from Viet Nam. Pho is Vietnamese soup including with broth, rice noodles, herbs, and meat. Most of people usually eat Pho with beef (beef Pho), and some of people eat Pho with chicken or shrimp. Pho is very popular in my country for long time ago, but Pho is popular throughout the world now. For sure, it has some reason to make Pho popular. First of all, Pho is easy to eat, not just for Vietnamese or Asian, It’s for all people. Even people who do not eat Pho before, they will love it when they try it. To begin with, if you want a perfect smell or taste, you have to have all things as bean sprout, cilantro, cinnamon basil, and sauce is the key to make Pho perfectly. Here is how I eat Pho. First, I make the sauce, I usually use hoisin sauce, child sauce, fish sauce, oil chili, and some lime. I put all that to a small bowl and stir well. when I already made the sauce, I will put a little to my Pho, which will make the broth taste better. Then I add all bean sprout, cilantro, white onion, and cinnamon basil to my bowl. A little sweet from the broth, a little salty of fish sauce, a little sour of lime, along with all that is the unique fragrance of Pho, cinnamon basil, and culantro. That all make the Pho flavor and delicious. And that how it goes. One time, I confused? so was I the first time really sat down and think why I eat this food?. Honestly, the answer is because Pho is delicious, but it just because Pho is delicious, so I eat it?. The answer is" not ". I loved Pho when I was a kid. Pho is not just only my favorite food but it is my memories and my culture as well.

It is unclear to me where I ever came up with the idea that Pho should be eaten with bean sprout, culantro, or that the meat would taste better with sauce. In fact, every country has a different culture, and if I live in this country for a while, somehow it will change my mind or accident erase my memories. Although, Pho has reminded me every time I eaten. It reminds me of my country and the culture of my country. I think even my country's culture might change, people in my country still love Pho, no matter kids, adults, or elders; they will still love it. 

            However, one day when I was working at my restaurant (Vietnamese restaurant) and I heard a little boy ask his Mom " Mom, we love to eat Pho but why don't we make it at home?". That sound like a normal question, but when I went home and I suddenly remembered that question. I sat down and asked myself: if in the future Pho will not popular in my country, the United States, or any country, and I don't know how to make it, so how might my next generation know this food?  How could I narrate to my kids that I had a favorite food and that food is a culture of my country as well? yes, if I don't know how to make it, those things will happen. I will lose my favorite food and the next generation of my family won't know about what is  Pho. I have to learn how to cook it to keep my childhood and Vietnamese' culture to narrate for my kids (in the future).

            The best Pho needs a clear and flavorful broth. The broth of Pho is really special, it has a special smell. Most people like that smell but some people don't. When I eat Pho for a long time, I realized that I have some connection with Pho, even it is just-food. I'm an introverted person. Some people like me when they understand or talk to me for a while. However, most people don't like me because I really quite and my face look not happy when I meet someone for the first time. I like to listen to music, watch soccer games or play the guitar rather than go outside when I have free time. Everything needs to take time to be great. Same as Pho, some people like it when they just try it for the first time, but some people have to try it more than twice to like it. And that is how people judge me as well. Although I look like I am an unsociable or arrogant person; however, if someone understands me, they will like me much.

            I'm proud that I have wonderful food and I'm so happy to recommend it for people who haven't try it before. I would like to say Pho is one of the best foods in the entire world. Because it is not just food, it is also a culture of my country and it is shown how people in my country are. They are sweet like a broth of Pho and nicely like the outfit of Pho. Of course, not all of them but most of them like that. Same as Pho, most of the place or restaurant create a wonderful Pho, but some of the restaurants don't. 

"Food does not just have nutrients or energy, food has a soul. "

I discovered that quote when I eat Pho for a long time. I realized that not just because Pho is delicious so I eat it, but I feel happiness, joyful when I eat it. Pho is all my memories, my childhood, and my country's culture. Especially, Pho makes me feel better when I'm going down. I found that Pho has a soul and I will keep that soul for the rest of my life. 

That's why Pho is my favorite food , so why you eat your food? and Why it becomes your favorite food?