Pho and ramen are two well-known noodle dishes, but can you tell them apart? Both soups have flavorful broths, filling noodles, and a variety of toppings. If you’re considering serving noodles, read on to find out what makes each dish special and authentic.
Ramen is a Japanese noodle dish with hearty broth and wheat noodles, and pho (pronounced fuh) is a light Vietnamese noodle dish with herbal broth and rice noodles. The noodles in ramen are firm and chewy, while the ones in pho are firm and translucent when you compare the two soups side by side. Ramen broth is typically dark and cloudy, while pho broth is thin and clear.
Rice noodles, a clear, fragrant broth, and thinly sliced beef make up the noodle dish pho. This soup, a popular breakfast item in Vietnam, is freshly made in the morning and served by roadside eateries until they run out. Although pho is available at any time of day, eating it for breakfast is just as common in Vietnam as it is in the US.
You might be surprised by the complexity and depth of flavor in the clear broth if you’re trying pho for the first time. The dish’s reputation as a restorative is due to the exotic spices and aromatics that are combined with the chicken or beef stock, which is used to make the broth. Instead of using ground spices, fresh, whole spices like cinnamon, star anise, and peppercorns are used to create a broth with a clear flavor profile.
During the height of French colonialism in the late 19th century, Vietnam’s national dish was created. Before French influence, beef consumption was uncommon in Vietnam, and cows were primarily used as laborers. The prolonged French occupation increased the demand for beef products and the number of cows slaughtered. Byproducts like leftover bones and tough meat were used, but street vendors quickly seized the opportunity to add the beef parts to soups. Pho was born through this intersection of cultures.
During the Vietnam War in 1954, pho became popular in North Vietnam before moving south. Over 800,000 refugees left the war-torn north to live in the south’s wealthier regions. Due to this migration, two different regional pho varieties emerged:
There are numerous variations of pho that can be confusing to the uninitiated, in addition to the regional styles mentioned above. There are only three main types of pho, according to purists. Beef (pho bo), chicken (pho ga), and vegetarian (pho chay) are on the short list. Many claim that pho that is served with pork, shrimp, or octopus is not considered to be authentic pho and is instead hu tieu (pronounce who teeyoo), a different noodle dish.
The most popular of the three main varieties is beef pho, which can be customized by selecting different meat cuts. These are the different variations of pho bo:
One of the main distinctions between pho and ramen is that a bowl of pho will have a lot more greenery on top of it. These are the common toppings:
Rich bone broth, chewy wheat noodles, and sliced pork are the main ingredients in the noodle dish ramen. It’s commonly topped with a soft-boiled egg and fresh scallions. You may be accustomed to the microwaveable packets of instant ramen that you can purchase at the grocery store, but making real ramen is a very different process.
Fresh ramen noodles’ flavorful broth needs time to develop in order for this dish to be as well-known as it is. Slow cooking of pork or chicken parts dissolves collagen in the skin and joints, producing a thick, flavorful bone broth that cannot be produced using only a packet of dry powder.
Many people believe ramen to be a Japanese dish because it is such a widely consumed staple food in Japan. The true origins of this noodle dish are the subject of numerous theories, but a recurring pattern emerges. Chinese immigrants are thought to have introduced the ramen noodles in the 1900s, and the Japanese are credited with creating the broth.
After World War II, ramen shops started to appear in Japan, and the dish gradually assimilated into Japanese culture. In Japan, there are more ramen shops per square mile than there are in the US for comparison’s sake. Although there are ramen shops here in the United States, there are far fewer than in Japan.
Wheat flour, water, salt, and an essential ingredient called kansui are used to make ramen noodles. To give the noodles a yellowish hue and a springy, elastic texture, baking soda (a combination of potassium and sodium carbonates) is used. The noodles cannot be referred to as authentic ramen noodles without kansui or a comparable alkaline additive.
A common misunderstanding is that all ramen noodles are wavy or curly. Although ramen noodles can be found in a variety of shapes, straight noodles are by far the most popular. Additionally, they can be divided based on the amount of water in them; low water content produces thin, firm noodles, while high water content produces thick, soft noodles. No matter the shape, kansui prevents ramen noodles from disintegrating in hot broth.
Ramen broth is made from simmered pork or chicken bones and is then flavored with various seasonings. Customers’ ability to select their preferred broth for their dish is a big draw of ramen. The four types of broth that you can find in ramen shops are as follows:
If ramen is new to you, you might believe that the more toppings you add, the better. Similar to choosing the wrong toppings for a pizza, the final dish can suffer if the wrong ingredients are combined. Here is a list of common ramen toppings along with which types of broth they go best with:
Now, it should be simple for you to distinguish between pho and ramen. Choosing your favorite among these noodle dishes is the difficult part.
Banh Pho: An Essential Pho Ingredient
One could argue that pho is not pho without the proper banh pho rice noodles in it, so why is banh pho so crucial in a bowl of pho? You can remove the garnishing from a bowl of pho, but you cannot remove the banh pho noodles. Furthermore, there must be a large number of banh pho strands floating in the broth, not just a few.
In fact, ordering more banh pho than is typically served in a bowl is totally acceptable in restaurants (see the article on “Tips on Ordering Pho Your Way”). “).
Heres another way of looking at it. In Vietnam and Southeast Asia generally, a meal is always comprised of a starchy, carb-heavy main dish. Steamed rice or noodles are available as these. At-table meals that include dishes made of meat, seafood, or vegetables are merely side dishes to go with the starch (rice or noodles). Along with the other side dishes, there might be a soup dish. Vietnamese speakers frequently eat this during meals in small bowl-sized portions over rice or by themselves under the name “canh.”
Authentic Pho vs. this Quick Pho:
I adore traditional pho soup, but I wanted to develop a recipe that is flavorful and quick to prepare without requiring expensive or difficult-to-find ingredients. This pho recipe is exactly that!.
Vietnamese restaurants typically simmer their broth all day to produce that luscious, well-known, and beloved combination of flavors. In this pho recipe, I use canned broth and simmer it with onion, ginger, and spices rather than slow cooking the bones for hours.
Pho and ramen are two well-known noodle dishes, but can you tell them apart? Both soups have flavorful broths, filling noodles, and a variety of toppings. If you’re considering serving noodles, read on to find out what makes each dish special and authentic.
Now, it should be simple for you to distinguish between pho and ramen. Choosing your favorite among these noodle dishes is the difficult part.
During the height of French colonialism in the late 19th century, Vietnam’s national dish was created. Before French influence, beef consumption was uncommon in Vietnam, and cows were primarily used as laborers. The prolonged French occupation increased the demand for beef products and the number of cows slaughtered. Byproducts like leftover bones and tough meat were used, but street vendors quickly seized the opportunity to add the beef parts to soups. Pho was born through this intersection of cultures.
The most popular of the three main varieties is beef pho, which can be customized by selecting different meat cuts. These are the different variations of pho bo:
There are numerous variations of pho that can be confusing to the uninitiated, in addition to the regional styles mentioned above. There are only three main types of pho, according to purists. Beef (pho bo), chicken (pho ga), and vegetarian (pho chay) are on the short list. Many claim that pho that is served with pork, shrimp, or octopus is not considered to be authentic pho and is instead hu tieu (pronounce who teeyoo), a different noodle dish.
FAQ
Are pho noodles healthy?
It may provide a number of advantages, including lowered inflammation and improved joint health, because of its nutrient-rich ingredients and high protein content. However, it may be high in calories and sodium, so controlling portion size is crucial. Overall, pho can be a wholesome addition to a diet that is well-balanced.
Are pho noodles wheat or rice?
In the end, the rice noodles are what give pho its flavor. Bánh ph rice noodles, which characterize pho soup, are produced by steaming rice batter into thin sheets and then slicing them into strands.
What is the difference between pho and ramen noodles?
As different from ramen noodles as it is possible are pho noodles. Pho Noodles are made from glutinous rice flour, as opposed to the wheat flour used to make ramen noodles. Thin, clear noodles known as Banh pho or pho are typically sold dry.
Is pho healthier than ramen?
In general, pho is lower in fat compared with ramen. There is a noticeable difference between the two dishes, with an average bowl of ramen having 15g of fat and a bowl of pho having about 5g. This difference is largely due to the type of meat used.
