Highland sour pho

Amidst the precarious rocky mountains, the ethnic people in Dong Van and Meo Vac still preserve the sour pho dish as part of their memories and the unique flavor of the rocky plateau.

Unlike lowland beef pho, highland sour pho does not have bone broth but is skillfully mixed with many ingredients available in the mountain people's kitchen. This is a familiar dish in markets, hot summer days or family reunions.

A bowl of sour pho is a blend of the softness of the rice noodles, the crispiness of the roasted meat, the freshness of the raw vegetables, the aroma of roasted peanuts and the mild sourness of the sauce - a harmonious, rustic yet sophisticated taste combination.

The ingredients for making sour pho are mostly prepared by the people themselves. They are pho noodles made from regular rice or sticky rice mixed with regular rice, spread thinly, large and chewy. Roasted pork, usually pork belly, is roasted over charcoal for crispy skin and sweet meat. This delicious dish also has boiled liver, sausage, sometimes thinly sliced ​​small intestine and raw vegetables such as coriander, lettuce, dill, onions... grown in the garden. In addition, to make the dish more flavorful, it needs crushed roasted peanuts, fried onions, carrots and sweet and sour pickled cucumbers.

In particular, the sweet and sour sauce is the “soul” part, mixed from rice vinegar, meat broth, sour plum or tamarind juice, sugar, fish sauce, crushed garlic and a little bit of fried oil. The skillful person mixes the sauce to have the right amount of sourness, sweetness, fat, and mild spiciness, without overpowering the natural aroma of the ingredients.

When preparing, the rice noodles are blanched until hot, then placed in a bowl, and the roasted meat, liver, raw vegetables, peanuts, and fried onions are added on top. The sweet and sour sauce is poured evenly, then gently stirred to absorb and then enjoyed.

The dish is not only delicious but also easy to digest, suitable for the cool climate of the highlands in the morning and dry at noon. The sour taste helps stimulate the taste buds, prevents boredom, making diners exclaim while eating.

Nowadays, many restaurants in Tuyen Quang have put sour pho on their tourist menus. But to truly experience the full flavor, there is nothing like sitting in a small village of ethnic minorities enjoying a simple yet profound bowl of sour pho - a flavor born from the rocks, from the mist, from the kindness of the highland people.

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/van-hoa/am-thuc/202507/pho-chua-vung-cao-5442ede/