The American news channel CNN has named pho bo (Vietnamese beef noodle soup) second on the list of 20 best soups in the world.

A bowl of Pho Bo (Vietnamese beef noodle soup) in Ha Noi. (Photo: VNA)

The beef in the soup is simmered for hours with cinnamon, star anise and other warm spices to create a wonderfully aromatic base for this rice noodle soup, according to CNN.

CNN described pho bo as a bowl of flat, soft rice noodles dipped in a fragrant beef or chicken broth flavoured with condiments.

The soup is considered a national dish and can be found all over the country though it originated in the north before being taken to the south, where people have added their own influences to the dish.

Pho has been getting rave reviews from global travel magazines for decades, and no visitor to Viet Nam fails to mention it.

French bouillabaisse, Spanish gazpacho, Chinese Lanzhou beef noodle soup and Thai Tom yum goong were also on the list.

Source: VNA