The origin of Phở in Jennie's version

Well, it has started on a day when my friend cooked a pot-au-feu which is a French dish in a cold day. That was such a good idea to have a hot-pot in the winter. I have found how it is really nice feeling to get heat from that smoking bolw in the cold weather day. Then, he asked me about the origin of Phở if it is similar with pot-au-feu's one. And that he got me, I have made a nice innocent smile to realize that I do not have any idea of that. He told me that pot-au-feu has been made from poor people in France; when they I do not have much budget for their meal. They buy all cheapest things and put it in the same jar and boil it. They make it very often in the winter when the weather is cold. In the common way, Phở comes from the North of Vietnam where there are four seasons in a year. Jennie curiously would like to know if Phở was made from low-class. After googling from many Vietnamese cultural websites, I confirm that Phở was not appreciated by upper-class in Vietnam at the beginning of its appearance around the ends of 18th and the beginning of 19th century. I have also read many explanations of the definition of the word "Phở". They try to explain from Chinese-Vietnamese language is quite complex for me to understand. They have perhaps forgot that is made from low-class and in the French colonization's period. And ats many Vietnamese words have similar sound with French words like beurre=bơ, bière=bia, café=cà phê, chocolat=sô cô la, etc ... and why not pot-au-feu --> feu = Phở

Phở is no doubt known internationally as many of others countries soup.

For more info about Vietnamese vs French word: http://projetbabel.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11860

Barcelona, 20 November, 2011 by Jennie Amélie