In a Facebook group of over 100,000 members sharing travel experiences in Vietnam, visitors have been discussing the two dishes.
One frequent visitor to Vietnam claimed that pho is overhyped and recommended others try the spicy beef noodle soup bun bo Hue instead, praising its flavors and use of ingredients. They suggested that the complexity of bun bo Hue‘s flavor make it a worthy representative of Vietnamese cuisine.
A bowl of bun bo Hue features different cuts of beef and pork knuckles. Photo by Read/Quynh Mai |
Among the supporters of spicy beef noodle soup is Kelly Maher from New South Wales, Australia, who described it as her favorite dish in Vietnam, calling pho “bland” in comparison.
Lani from Dallas, USA, likened spicy beef noodle soup to a “spicier, more exciting cousin of pho.”
However, others pointed out that preferences are subjective.
Jéli Lopes from Brazil noted that diners from spice-heavy regions like South America might prefer bun bo Hue for its strong flavors, featuring ingredients like lemongrass, fermented shrimp paste, and chili.
While both dishes are celebrated internationally, pho has greater global recognition.
In October, international food magazine TasteAtlas ranked pho 29th and bun bo Hue 56th on their list of world’s best soups. In January, CNN named pho one of the top 20 best broths in the world for 2024.
In August, Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism officially listed Hanoi-style pho and Nam-Dinh-style pho as national intangible cultural heritage.
Additionally, this dish has been included in the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary since September 2007.
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A bowl of pho. Photo by Read/Quynh Mai |
Still, bun bo Hue has attracted global attention for its regional flavor. The late Anthony Bourdain once called it “one of the best soups in the world” on his CNN show “Parts Unknown”, and TasteAtlas described it as a flavorful, spicy, and affordable breakfast staple in Vietnam.
Despite bun bo Hue’s growing recognition, Google Trends data over the past 12 months shows that pho remains significantly more popular globally, with search interest far surpassing that of the spicy beef noodle soup.
Pho scored an average of 77/100 in search interest, while bun bo Hue lagged behind at 4/100. The dominance of pho is evident across various countries, with searches in South Korea showing 90% for pho and only 10% for bun bo Hue.
Experts like Dr. Daisy Kanagasapapathy from RMIT Vietnam believes that the comparison between pho and bun bo Hue is natural, as both are Vietnamese soups that reflect the country’s culinary diversity.
Phooriginating from the north, is recognized globally, while bun bo Huefrom central Vietnam, boasts a spicy broth. Pho is known for its light flavors, often featuring hints of star anise and cinnamon, whereas bun bo Hue offers a more spicy broth.
According to Kanagasapapathy, pho’s mild flavor and versatility make it more accessible to a wide range of palates, which has helped it gain international prominence. However, bun bo Hue has the potential to achieve similar recognition as more diners become open to exploring regional specialties.
Dr. Justin Matthew Pang, Deputy Head of the Tourism and Hospitality Management Department at RMIT, noted that while bun bo Hue is popular within Vietnam, it lacks the international distinction that pho has achieved. To boost its global appeal, he suggests a two-pronged strategy: organic growth and targeted promotion.
Organic growth refers to the increasing demand for the dish among travelers, both Vietnamese and foreign, who seek it out abroad. Targeted promotion would involve the Vietnamese Tourism Board showcasing bun bo Hue as a culinary tourism experience at international food festivals to improve its global visibility.
“This approach is already being used by neighboring countries like Singapore and Malaysia at international events”, Pang added.
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