International Sandwich Sensation

Bánh Mì (BUN-mee) is bread in Vietnamese, but also refers to the sandwich, a culinary fusion of French and Vietnamese, and an example of how linked food and history are.

A Brief History

The sandwich story begins under French colonial rule, somewhere between 1858 and 1954. The French couldn’t live without baguettes, and accompanying cold cuts, butter, cheese and pâté. So, wheat flour was imported, bakeries opened, they locally cured ham to French tastes and the Viet people trained to make the French favorites. During this period, the Vietnamese also ate baguettes with butter and pâté, but that soon changed after the French left in the 1950s.

Sandwich revolutionizes during war years

Because of supply issues, Viet bakers added rice flour to baguettes and the result was a crisper crust. The cold cuts and pâté returned to the prior Asian seasonings. Cheaper mayonnaise replaced expensive butter. They added pickled carrots and radishes, along with chilies, cucumber and cilantro. The French baguette with charcuterie was now born on the streets of Saigon, a distinctive sandwich. It wasn’t long until food carts across the country were selling these tasty and affordable sandwiches. After the fall of Saigon in 1975, Viet refugees arrived in American and European cities, and bánh mì became an international sandwich sensation.

Basic bánh mì

Its flavor profile is quintessentially Vietnamese, combining aromatic, salty, sour, umami, and sweet with some heat in one sandwich.

Mix and Match

BREAD: a hand span of an airy, crispy baguette or bolillo roll (toast the bread and keep a hinge)

PROTEIN: Vietnamese ham, steamed pork, meatballs, baked tofu, fried eggs, chicken

VEGETABLES: sliced cucumber, pickled carrot & daikon

HERBS & SPICES: crisp cilantro, mint, basil, and/or fresh chilis

FATS: pâté, butter, mayonnaise, avocado

SEASONINGS: Salt, pepper, soy sauce, liquid aminos

No rules but some guidelines

Don’t overstuff with protein, because a balanced bánh mì is a salad in a sandwich, with a 1 to 1 ratio of protein to veggies. Prep the bread: Rub the crust with wet hands and crisp in a 350 F oven for about 5 minutes. Let it cool, slit the bread open, leaving a hinge, hollow out some insides to make room for the filling.

Filling

Spread fat of choice on, season the fat, layer the filling on the bottom and top with veggies, pickles, chilies and herbs. Eat: Close and cut crosswise or keep whole. Enjoy!

A Few Classic Bánh Mì Combos

Bánh mì Xiu Mai (pork meatball sandwich) — pork meatballs marinated in a local flavored sauce, usually with a tomato, fish or soy sauce base. Serve with cilantro to get the true Vietnamese flavor.

Bánh mì thịt nướng (barbecue pork sandwich) — A very popular Vietnamese Sandwich for meat lovers. This is a grilled pork belly or grilled pork shoulder. It’s an authentic style and one of the true original Banh Mi from the 1950s.

Bánh mì chả cá (fish patty sandwich)—Fried fish cakes placed in the baguette, served with Sriracha sauce, seasoning, and carrot/ daikon pickles with veggies.

Bánh mì chay (vegan sandwich) — eaten twice a month during the full and half-moon celebrations. Most Buddhist followers have a vegan day twice per month.