Nam Dinh and Hanoi pho and Quang noodles recognized as national heritage

Three famous dishes in Hanoi, Nam Dinh and Quang Nam have been recognized as National Intangible Cultural Heritage because of their many values from history, knowledge to community connection.

On August 9, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MOCST) announced the list of national intangible cultural heritage, belonging to the category of folk knowledge, for Hanoi pho, Nam Dinh pho and Quang noodles.

According to the Ministry, all three intangible cultural heritages were introduced by localities with full values such as representativeness, expressing community and local identity; reflecting cultural diversity and human creativity, being inherited through many generations; having the ability to recover and exist long-term; being agreed upon by the community, voluntarily nominated and committed to protection.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism considers pho a popular dish in Vietnamese culinary culture, loved by many people at home and abroad.

According to the introduction of "Pho Hanoi" by the Hanoi People's Committee, the typical dish is pho with water, served with beef and chicken. Cooking techniques, dining space and culture have created a unique mark for Pho Hanoi. Long-standing pho shops in Hanoi are often not large in scale, with the front of the pho processing counter and often use the sidewalk or the space in the alley to place dining tables.

Most of the famous pho restaurants in Hanoi have secret recipes that only the owners and their spouses know; others cannot know the dosage and some special spices to add to the broth. The recipe is only passed down to family members or clan members through hands-on training.

Photo of a bowl of pho taken in August 2023 at a restaurant in Dong Da district, Hanoi - where customers still queue like in the subsidy period. Photo: Quynh Mai

Regarding Nam Dinh pho, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism commented that pho has become the pride of Nam Dinh land and people; affirming the value of the culinary brand through unique features expressed in all stages, from preparation, selection of ingredients, food, methods of making typical pho noodles, processing stages, and completing a delicious bowl of pho that ensures flavor and nutritional quality.

Nam Dinh Province People's Committee said that long-standing pho shops are mainly concentrated in Nam Dinh city and pho street vendors also appeared here for the first time. Selling pho has become a livelihood for many villagers, but most of them serve in big cities. Many people from Nam Dinh have opened pho shops in other provinces and cities, mainly in Hanoi, Hai Phong and Ho Chi Minh City.

Quang noodles in Hoi An. Photo: Huynh Nhi

Quang noodles are also on the newly announced heritage list. According to the People's Committee of Quang Nam province, the Quang noodles processing profession is currently well preserved and developed, people working in the profession have a stable income, and the risk of extinction is not high.

However, nowadays, many noodle factories use advanced technology lines which are much faster and more convenient, so traditional noodle factories are at risk of shrinking. Young people are less likely to participate in this profession because they are pursuing easier jobs with higher incomes.

Pho Hanoi is also facing problems as the next generation tends to choose modern jobs instead of selling pho. Hiring outside labor to help sell is also a difficult problem for many shop owners when maintaining their family business.

Regarding Nam Dinh pho, the province's investigation showed that there are about 500 pho shops in the area, but nearly 1,500 households went to other big cities to open pho shops.

Recognition of national cultural heritage is a driving force to preserve and promote heritage values. Currently, localities have said they have plans to protect and promote the values of newly recognized heritage.

According to the website of the Department of Cultural Heritage, the list of national intangible cultural heritages currently has nearly 500 heritages.

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