Sandalwood in Vietnamese Pho
It might look picture perfect but no one wanted to eat this onion soup. An episode of Food Safari in the Travel & Living Channel showed how to make broth for the Vietnamese Pho by adding cinnamon bark and star anise to the usual spices and herbs. I did exactly that, except for the sandalwood which I didn’t have.
I was quite surprised to hear the cook mention sandalwood as a cooking ingredient. I know its oil is used as a fragrance (think aromatherapy) and the wood itself is made into jewelry boxes, fans and other ornamental wood work… but for cooking?
Anyway, I used the broth to make some onion soup and… my hubby and kids said it tasted funny.
Perhaps, I didn’t get the proportions right. It’s possible that I used too much and too many spices with too little water. Or, perhaps, I should have removed the spices from the broth as soon as it was cooked instead of letting them soak there overnight while cooling the broth in preparation for freezing in batches.
Or, perhaps, the sandalwood was really essential and I shouldn’t have attempted making the Pho-style broth without it. But where do I get sandalwood? The only sandalwood I can get my hands on are sandalwood fans — as in pamaypay — and sandalwood soap. I don’t think either qualifies as a cooking ingredient. The Vietnamese cook featured in Food Safari (the show is produced and shot in Australia) said she imports her sandalwood (she called it her secret ingredient so I suppose that’s how important it is) directly from Vietnam.
Oh, well, so much for attempting to make Vietnamese Pho at home with incomplete ingredients. Until I can get some sandalwood, there’s always Pho Hoa.
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11 Responses to “Sandalwood in Vietnamese Pho”
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Hi, I googled Food Safari and watched the video on how to make pho broth. The viet lady mentioned dried sandworm not sandalwood.
Anyway,I do love pho and have made it many times. I start with good beef bones and I include 1 large onion,stick of celery,cinnamon stick,star anise,peppercorns and let it simmer gently for 1 1/2 hours and the rest you already know I’m sure.
Good luck with your pho next time!
Nice experiment on the soup Connie. I don’t think i’m even familiar with the scent of Sandalwood. For an experiement, i think “tastes funny” will do. hehe
I did a carrot ginger soup before…i was the only one who ate it.
Mmm! Sandalwood sounds like an interesting ingredient. Perhaps it is powdered or maybe it’s used like cinnamon quill.
Aha! I found this reference in a recipe at http://www.leitesculinaria.com/recipes/cookbook/ahi_soy.html :
“Ground sandalwood is the powdered root and wood of a large tree native to the Pacific Islands and eastern Asia. It is used for both its red color and its aromatic quality for seasoning. It is available in well-stocked Asian markets…”
There must be any number of well stocked Asian Markets in Metro Manila.
lyn, sandworm? really?
peterb, hahahaha i have cooked some things that even i refused to eat hahahaha
Ozi, re “There must be any number of well stocked Asian Markets in Metro Manila.”
Will check Shuin and that place in Gilmore.
Connie, Welcome to the club! It’s just my hubby and me now at home, and even if he doesn’t say it, I know when he doesn’t enjoy a meal. It happens, especially when I try to cook a new dish, but I don’t take offence anymore. Tutal naman, there are many times when he says: “Ang sarap naman nito” (kahit paksiw lang). Kahit bola kung minsan, konsuwelo na rin.
Re Vietnamese soup: When a Vietnamese supermarket first opened in our area, we enjoyed their takeouts, including soup. The soup was very tasty but after a while, I found the scent overwhelming (medyo nakakasawa). I wonder which of the soup’s ingredients create that scent.
peterb, recipe ba ni Dr. Weil yung ginger/carrot soup mo? When I made it, I was also the only one who ate it at home. I halved the recipe - and froze half of the soup, pero too much for one pa rin. Masarap naman, ‘di ba?
Josie, re “even if he doesn’t say it, I know when he doesn’t enjoy a meal.”
HEHEHEHE same here. My hubby has a very healthy appetite and when he nibbles at his food, I don’t it’s NOT because he suddenly decided to diet. HAHAHAHAHAHA
Hi,
I found your website because I was just watching the Food Safari episode where the Vietnamese woman was explaining her recipe for Pho.
As I was watching, I did a double-take when she said she used “SANDWORM”, and I immediately did a Google search to see what additional info I could find about sandworms in Vietnamese cooking.
Your website was one of the Google results, and needless to say, I was surprised when I saw the post title “SANDALWOOD in VIETNAMESE PHO” — yet no mention of”SANDWORM”.
Obviously, the writer misheard the word when watching the Vietnamese cuisine episode of Food Safari — something I myself nearly did, had I not rewound my TIVO
Now, know a few commenters have already noted that it is NOT *sandalwood” but instead “sandworms”.
However, may I request that the author of this post add an
UPDATE or CORRECTION to AMEND your post?
Mainly because for anyone who might land at this page on your website (who did NOT see the Vietnamese cuisine episode of Food Safari, or was not doing a search for “sandWORM”!), the FIRST thing they’d see when they arrive at this post, is an earnest - yet inaccurate Pho recipe with the word “Sandalwood” in its recipe TITLE.
Kindest regards, and love this site!
If I misheard the ingredient, I have to see the episode again. I cannot say something according to a third party. At any rate, the readers’ comments are all there are other readers have the alternative information.
hi. would you know vietnamese groceries in manila and qc?