(upbeat music) - On this episode of "The Original Fare."

This white girl is not going to get (laughs).

(beeps) We head to Vietnam to learn about Phu Quoc's famous fish sauce.

- [Woman] The first time I had it, but I was like, I stocked.

- [Host] With LA chef Diep Tran and Red Boat.

- It's just recently that we've been allowed to be artisan.

- [Host] Then it's off to explore pho in Saigon with Miss Universe Vietnam.

And how we feed the world instant noodles with Vifon.

(thumping upbeat music) (waves crashing) - Okay.

I grew up with this fish sauce.

All I want is fish sauce for my mom to give, just like, what she used to have.

- All of this just so mom would make you.

Cuong came back to Vietnam to start Red Boat fish sauce in 2006.

After leaving that whole Apple engineering world.

- This is how Phu Quoc fish sauce has been produced hundreds of years ago.

Two ingredients and only two.

- [Host] Right.

- [Cuong] The fish and the sauce.

So I'm gonna show you the barrels that we loaded three months ago.

- [Host] Okay.

- [Cuong] And see what the fish sauce look like.

So this one, if you smell it, it's fishy.

- [Woman] Yeah, yeah.

- [Cuong] Even the color is nice.

- [Woman] It smells yum.

You taste the salt.

- [Cuong] Yes.

- [Woman] 'Cause it hasn't leached yet.

- [Cuong] Correct.

So the enzyme is breaking down the fish flesh and turn it into the liquid.

- And I get the aroma of fish, but I don't get salt on the tongue.

- [Cuong] See.

This is the six month.

This is good.

- [Woman] I can see the color difference.

- [Cuong] Yeah.

So the fish is gone and away a little bit.

- Oh yeah.

- [Woman] Totally different.

- [Cuong] Yeah.

- And you used the term this morning, we got up indigenous ingredients.

- People don't think of fish sauce as technology.

But like, it's centuries old technology.

You know what I mean?

Like, it's technology that's developed, that's nurtured.

- When you put that work and you built this, and you did that first barrel, and it didn't hit your expectations, what did you feel?

- Oh.

I mean, you're disappointed but you got a lot more to learn.

I mean, I don't expect - [Host] You didn't like just get (beeps) - You don't know how many barrels that we had to sell it off because it's not good.

You know, that's a big learning process that we go through.

- [Host] This is 12 months.

And what is in the aroma that you want?

- [Cuong] The lingering of the taste.

Like, the salt would hit you but then it's subtle.

And then you feel the sweetness.

They have the word called umami, that's what it is.

The savory of it.

- So she want's to see what it's grabbing the sides.

it's grabbing the sides.

- I'm the Vietnamese.

I'm proud to be a Vietnamese.

(laughs) - [Host] You made it for your mama.

I mean come on.

- [Cuong] So, I mean, we have a beautiful product that is considered national treasure.

And why not maintain it?

I mean to be proud of it?

Like other country they have their product to be proud of.

Why can't we?

Why can't we?

(enchanted music) - [Host] We're heading out to find the black anchovies on one of Cuong's boats.

So we're heading to the anchovy boat?

- Yes.

We're heading.

- So we'll see how everybody holds up.

- So they're trying to call the fishing boat right now, see where they're at.

- We got one over here.

- Did you take a picture yet?

- I tried but it's so black.

- [Host] They get harvested at night, 'cause they get attracted to the light.

- [Cuong] With any products, raw material is the key.

Which, this case, is the black anchovies that swim around Gulf of Thailand.

The way we produce local fish sauce is salt fish eggs that get caught on the boat.

Our ancestor has created this process.

- After the harvesting and salting, Cuong's fish are unloaded into barrels to begin their year-long fermentation.

It's not bad.

I got it.

I got it.

It's fine.

- [Man] Upstairs.

- Okay.

I'm not going upstairs.

Ahh!

- There you go.

- [Diep] I'm so inspired right now.

Like, yeah.

I mean the first time I had it, but I was like, what?

(laughs) What?

I stocked.

- [Host] Really?

- Yeah.

I was like, who's this guy?

- [Host] Oh my gosh.

You just had brands you liked or your family made your own?

- Oh no.

My grandma tried fishing fish sauce, but maybe just reselling or whatever.

But that was like in the '40s.

Before Cuong, there were like, you know, the best of what that was out there.

- [Host] Yeah.

- Just recently, that we've been allowed to be artisan.

- [Host] Diep, a Vietnamese-American chef who's based in LA, well this is her first time back to her home country since fleeing during the war as a child.

- [Cuong] But if you saw that only with the right amount of salt then you promote the good enzyme.

- [Host] Yeah, I can't get over the smell.

Or the lack of the smell.

- [Diep] It's just briny.

It's just briny.

It's like the ocean.

- [Host] Yeah.

- [Cuong] Yeah.

Three, four days old.

And that's the key thing.

- [Diep] That fish sauce, you know, people will have like this fear of it.

No one would fear wine.

So that's - [Host] Well, it's alcoholic too.

- [Diep] Yeah.

With slow food noodle mix started in Italy, it had traction there but it has really yet to benefit, you know, third world countries.

We produce all these artisanal product.

First of all it's been like a commodity.

- [Cuong] Yes.

- What you have done and made it into, not made it but reminded people it's an artisanal product.

(enchanted music) - So you just add as much sauce.

- [Cuong] Yeah.

And sometimes you need it.

- The taste it's.

The texture.

(beeps) - [Host] Holy grail of making noodles.

This is the one.

(high intensity upbeat music) Fish sauce is the staple in Vietnamese cuisine.

Which can be best exemplified through the country's love affair with pho.

(upbeat music) And one of the biggest companies sharing pho with the world, Vifon.

Vifon is also the holder of the Guinness Book of World Record's Biggest Bowl of Homemade pho.

I spent an afternoon seeing if steaming rice is maybe the career of my future.

- Hold the head.

- Whoa.

(laughs) Really?

So the liqueur comes out the rice is now only in a liquid state.

And then it's flattened out to steam.

- [Linh] Yes, that is correct.

Here, we steam up the rice liquid.

This is also the traditional way of preparing pho.

- [Host] Wow.

- [Linh] I think pho is the ultimate Vietnamese comfort food.

- These are all dryers?

- Yes.

Yes.

- Wow.

- [Linh] It's a five hour drying process before we go to packaging.

- [Host] So we've got the spice components here of pho.

Is there a traditional recipe of spices that has to go into pho?

- [Linh] Around 20 different types of spices that goes into pho.

- [Host] Really?

- [Linh] Yeah.

Cardamom, the cloves, the star anise, the cinnamon, shallot, ginger and Vietnamese coriander.

- And all these spices are coming from Vietnam?

- Yes, all of these are local Vietnamese spices.

- And then these flavor packs come as well.

- Yes.

- But we cannot know what's in them?

- You know the basic.

- We know the basics.

I know, I get it.

- [Linh] Our local domestic pho is in the must have list is in the must have list to buy of Korean tourists in Vietnam.

- Really?

They come to buy it?

- Yes.

It is.

It's a must have for them.

- I love that.

- [Host] Vifon spokesperson also happens to be Miss Universe Vietnam.

My first pho in Vietnam, I'm very honored to have it with you.

Now you show me how this works.

(laughs) Do you live here in Ho Chi Minh?

- [H'Hen] Yes, right now.

Yes.

I'm eat spicy too.

- [Host] I want this spice.

- [H'Hen] Really spice.

- [Host] You miss it?

- Yes.

- [Host] That's a perfect twirl.

How do you do that perfect twirl?

That is beautiful.

So good!

- [H'Hen] Yes.

- Pretty?

- [H'Hen] Yeah.

- Countryside?

- [H'Hen] Yes.

- [Host] Oh my gosh!

Yes, I've seen that in a lot of my travels.

(vehicles honking) (upbeat music) - [Host] You just started a game and you're like oh I'm from Georgia, I'm a redneck.

- I didn't say nothing about worms, man.

We don't eat worms in Georgia.

- Hawkins, an old beau from New York City, has lived with his family in Vietnam for about a decade.

He was the first boy I ever cooked for, which was a total disaster.

And I think he's finally getting back at me.

(people talking) So what else should we try here?

- We are famous for the tacos with the Vietnamese style tacos.

- [Host] What is the taco shell?

What's the traditional taco?

- It's made with, it's rice flour, water, and turnip.

- [Host] Aye, that is so yummy.

- [Hawkins] My old friend, Kelly, just came out of the woodwork, tells me that she's doing a show.

- [Host] I know.

- I was like if you're gonna do pho, you gotta come in and meet Peter.

He's doing the most interesting pho in the country.

- [Host] This pho means business.

Wagyu, cured quail egg, and of course, a nice thick hunk of bone marrow.

Because why not?

Then you can shoot la gavone out of the bone because again, why not?

(people cheering) - Thank you, appreciate that.

- [Man] You're allowed to do this?

Really?

(playful instrumental music) - Our journey winds down with a celebratory feast by Chef Diep.

- Oh yeah, maybe get two small fish?

- Yeah.

- [Host] Oh my goodness!

- [Diep] Oh my gosh!

- Oh look at that one.

- Oh!

Oh.

We gotta get some of these.

These are too rad.

I want my wallpaper like that.

- I want my wallpaper like this.

- I know.

I know.

- I want a dress like this.

I want a tablecloth.

Have you ever had these?

- [Host] A soursop?

- Oh yeah.

This is the biggest (laughs) I've ever seen.

- [Host] Do we just like bite into it now?

Oh oh oh oh.

Scooby snacks.

- [Diep] I'm like the clammed girl.

(laughs loudly) To this one when I was a child I was so ashamed of it.

You know, 'cause it wasn't pretty.

And it shouldn't be a low cause of shame, it should be a foundation of your pride, you know.

This is really farm over table.

You need chopped pork?

We got it.

You need a deskinned pig head?

Here we go.

Yeah.

But I love this is your meat aisle.

I love it.

(laughs loudly) (rhythmic upbeat music) - Why I think this particular chef is very smart.

I would, that's a big generalized statement.

(laughs loudly) - [Cuong] I think we should have a cheer.

- [Host] I can make a round for everybody.

- I am very honored and grateful that you took the time, Diep took the time to come out.

- I haven't been back to Vietnam since 1978.

And I think it was fate that it took me this long.

And, you know, it's probably gonna take me another forty years to process this trip.

Your helping preserve a cultural legacy that could easily die out.

Yeah, I'm grateful.

(people talking) - [Host] There is a snake in a jar sitting next to me.

- [Cuong] She asked me how do I run from six to 11 everyday.

(laughs loudly) - [Host] Now we know.

- [Cuong] You wanna try?

- [Diep] I'm okay.

I'm okay.

- [Man] It's not bad.

- Oh.

It actually tastes - [Man] Very good.

- Yeah.

Very smooth, sweet.

Right?

- [Diep] Get a little bit of the scale.

(laughs loudly) - My grandpa if he were alive, he would totally be into this.