What are the ingredients in the pho cube?

December 26, 2025 •

3 min read

Pho bouillon cubes contain simple ingredients like salt, sugar, MSG, and star anise, replicating the signature flavors of traditional pho broth in a convenient format. These condensed flavor packets offer a quick and easy way to create a warm, aromatic noodle soup at home without the long simmering process.

Quick Summary

An exploration of the typical components found in pho cubes, including key spices, flavor enhancers, and dehydrated ingredients. It highlights how these instant cubes are used to create a quick, flavorful broth, contrasting them with the slow-simmering methods of traditional pho.

Key Points

Core Seasoning: Pho cubes rely on a base of salt, sugar, and MSG for their fundamental savory flavor.
Essential Spices: Signature spices include star anise, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and coriander, which are dehydrated and ground into powder for the cube.
Flavor Enhancers: MSG and yeast extract are commonly used to intensify the umami and richness of the broth.
Convenience vs. Tradition: Pho cubes offer a fast, simplified version of broth, while traditional pho involves a slow, hours-long simmering process with fresh ingredients.
Vegetarian Options: Plant-based pho cubes substitute meat-based flavors with vegetable extracts and specific spices, making them suitable for vegan diets.
Customization: Even when using a cube, you can improve the broth's depth by adding fresh ingredients like additional spices, roasted onion, and fresh herbs.

Core Ingredients of a Pho Cube

Pho cubes, also known as bouillon or stock cubes, are designed to mimic the rich, aromatic flavors of traditional Vietnamese pho broth. While the exact formula varies by brand, most pho cubes share a common set of foundational ingredients that provide their distinct taste. The primary components are salt and sugar, which form the base of the seasoning. Different brands use varying types and amounts of salt, such as sea salt, to enhance the flavor profile. Sugar, including cane or yellow rock sugar, is crucial for balancing the savory notes.

Spices and Aromatics

The most critical ingredients for achieving the authentic pho flavor are the spices and aromatics. These are typically dehydrated and ground into a powder to be easily compressed into the cube.

Star Anise: A signature spice in pho, contributing a sweet, licorice-like aroma.
Cinnamon: Often added as sticks, but powdered for the cube, providing a warm, woody undertone.
Onion and Garlic: Dehydrated onion and garlic powder are essential aromatics that build the savory base of the broth.
Coriander: Adds a warm, slightly nutty flavor.
Ginger: Supplies a sharp, spicy kick that cuts through the richness.
Cloves: Contributes an intense, pungent sweetness.

Flavor Enhancers and Binders

To ensure a strong, consistent flavor, commercial pho cubes contain a variety of flavor enhancers and binders. These ingredients help to intensify the taste and hold the cube's shape.

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG): A common flavor enhancer (listed as E621 in some products) used to boost the savory, umami flavor.
Yeast Extract: A natural flavor enhancer that provides a savory, broth-like flavor.
Natural Flavors: Proprietary blends of vegetable or meat-based flavors that further replicate the traditional pho taste.
Vegetable Oil/Palm Shortening: Used to bind the powdered ingredients and prevent clumping.

Comparing Traditional Pho Broth vs. Pho Cube

While pho cubes offer convenience, they provide a simplified version of the complex flavors achieved through the lengthy preparation of a traditional broth. The ingredients, though similar, differ in form and processing.


Feature	Traditional Pho Broth	Pho Cube
Preparation Time	Hours, slow-simmering bones and spices.	Minutes; just dissolve in boiling water.
Spice Form	Whole, roasted spices and fresh aromatics.	Dehydrated, ground spices and powders.
Flavor Complexity	Deep, multi-layered umami from collagen-rich bone marrow.	Less complex, relies on concentrated flavors and enhancers.
Primary Ingredients	Beef/chicken bones, water, charred onions/ginger, whole spices.	Salt, sugar, MSG, dehydrated vegetables, ground spices.
Sodium Level	Controlled by the chef; can be adjusted with fish sauce.	Typically high and fixed per serving.
Ingredient Purity	Generally fresher and less processed, depending on sourcing.	Contains processed ingredients like yeast extract and stabilizers.

Vegetarian and Other Variations

Most pho cubes are available in either beef or chicken flavor, derived from natural flavors and yeast extracts. However, vegetarian and vegan options are also widely available. These versions omit meat-derived ingredients and focus on a savory, vegetable-based profile, using combinations of dehydrated vegetables and spices to create the characteristic flavor. Vegetarian pho cubes commonly feature ingredients like dehydrated vegetables (e.g., onion, carrot, bok choy), yeast extract, and traditional pho spices like star anise and cinnamon, along with salt and sugar.

Conclusion

In conclusion, a pho cube is a compacted block of flavor that provides a quick and convenient shortcut to making pho. The ingredients are a combination of salt, sugar, dehydrated aromatics like onion and garlic, and a proprietary mix of spices such as star anise, cinnamon, and cloves. These ingredients are held together by a binder, often vegetable oil or palm shortening, and the flavor is enhanced by ingredients like MSG and yeast extract. While it offers a simplified broth, it successfully captures the essence of traditional pho, allowing home cooks to enjoy a flavorful bowl of noodle soup in a fraction of the time. The convenience, combined with the signature taste, makes it a popular pantry staple for Vietnamese cuisine lovers worldwide.

How to Elevate Pho Made with a Cube

Using a pho cube is a quick start, but you can enhance the flavor to get closer to a traditional broth. To "turbocharge" your broth, simmer the cube in water along with fresh ingredients for a short time. Some simple additions include cinnamon sticks, extra star anise, fish sauce, and fresh cilantro. You can also add thinly sliced raw beef or chicken to the hot broth to cook, and garnish with fresh herbs, bean sprouts, lime wedges, and chili slices to add fresh, complex layers of flavor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Pho cubes typically contain dehydrated and ground spices such as star anise, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, coriander, and black pepper, which provide the distinct aromatic flavor.

While many common brands offer cubes made with beef or chicken flavors, vegetarian and vegan pho cubes are widely available. These versions use vegetable extracts and spices instead of meat-based ingredients.

Many commercial pho cubes do contain monosodium glutamate (MSG) as a flavor enhancer to boost the savory, umami taste. Some products, however, are specifically marketed as "no MSG".

Using a pho cube is a shortcut, not the traditional method for making pho broth. Traditional recipes involve slow-simmering bones and fresh spices for hours. While convenient, the cube offers a simplified flavor profile.

The flavor base is primarily composed of salt and sugar, which are enhanced by the inclusion of dehydrated vegetables like onion and garlic, and a blend of spices.

The main difference lies in the specific blend of spices. Pho cubes are formulated with aromatic spices like star anise and cinnamon to mimic the unique taste of Vietnamese pho, whereas standard bouillon cubes have a more general beef or chicken flavor.

To use a pho cube, simply dissolve one cube in the amount of boiling water specified on the package, which is typically around 500ml. The resulting broth can then be used with rice noodles, meat, and fresh garnishes.