Barbara Costikyan used to say: “In the childhood memories of every good cook, there is a large kitchen, a warm stove, a simmering pot, and a mom.” People often say that food has a special connection to our memories. My most favorite Vietnamese food,”Pho Bo,” always reminds me of my mother. My mother is a beautiful, capable, and resourceful woman. She has beautiful long black hair which is significant of Vietnamese women. She is also a mixture of modern and traditional Vietnamese women. She always spends time cooking many delicious traditional Vietnamese foods, although she is often busy with the office work on weekdays. My mother is very good at cooking, especially Vietnamese food. However, my most favorite food is “Pho Bo.”

   “Pho Ga” is a famous Vietnamese soup containing noodles and beef. Moreover, “Pho Bo” originated in Hanoi, so people often call this dish with a familiar name “Pho Bo Hanoi”.  The taste of this dish is tasty and slightly spicy, with deep layers of flavor. The main ingredients of “Pho Bo” are tender slices with meet ball, beef shank, pig’s knuckles, and fresh herbs.

​One afternoon, glowing and bright, in the summer. The sun was shining brilliantly outside, its light spreading through the window while my mom was preparing lunch. At first, my mother slowly put the lemongrass into the abundant hot water pot. Then, she started adding to the pot each piece of fresh beef, beef shank, and pig’s knuckles that were already marinated with spices. The gracious smell of lemongrass with fresh beef together like the air of a meadow on a warm day at the beginning of spring . That smell always makes me relaxed. Next to that, she gradually poured the pot into another one and started adding more flavorings so that she could make a sweeter taste for the soup and specific color of the dish, which is between orange and red. When my mother was boiling the soup, the savory smell covered all over the kitchen.  Chopping the scallion, I tried to help my mother cook the meal for our family. After a while, my mother finished boiling the soup. For the last step, she took a part of the noodle into a medium bowl. Then, she poured the soup with some slices of beef and a pig’s knuckle into the bowl. After that, I put on top of the dish some scallion, onion plus green herbs, which my mom asked me to take from our tree on the balcony.

​When the clock pointed to noon, my family gathered together for lunch. I began to eat the first slice of beef, and its delicious flavor flowed over my mouth. Every time I chewed, the softness of the ripe beef and noodle always made me satisfied. Next, I took a small spoon of soup and tasted it. The sweet smell of beef and pork, the rich smell of the lemongrass together create a fantastic combination. Up until now, I’ve never forgotten the picture of my family eating lunch together every Saturday. As an overseas student, I sometimes miss the cozy atmosphere that can only be created by family. I can not forget the taste and the smell of ”Pho Bo”.  It is such a unique taste and smell that can bring me back to those good old days with my family. Above all, ”Pho Bo” is an exceptional dish that reminds me of my mom- an inspiring woman who has raised my sister and me up with her unconditional love that she put into every amazing traditional Vietnamese dishes. One day, I wish I can learn all the recipes of Vietnamese cuisine from my mother so that I can recall myself back to those good memories that I had with my beloved in Vietnam people no matter where I am. Finally, “Pho Bo” made by mom will always be my all-time greatest dish, which evokes myself about the diversity of Vietnamese cuisine and the illustration of the woman I love in the whole full world