Originating from European cuisine, Banh Mi Vietnam has been adapted to local ingredients to become a type of bread famous worldwide.
Let’s check it!
1. What is Banh Mi Vietnam?
The correct writing of Banh mi in Vietnamese is Bánh mì or Bánh mỳ. However, the word “banh mi” was officially added to the Oxford dictionary, confirming a proper noun: “Bread.” Banh mi is pronounced /ˈbɑːn miː/.
Many Vietnamese people do not accept Banh Mi as a baguette, sandwich, or hamburger. Banh Mi is a Vietnamese bread with full fillings, a unique style, and a delicious flavor.
At first glance, the bread looks like a miniature baguette. But it has a crispy outer and is rich in butter flavor. The inside is much softer, moister, and spongier than a baguette.
The bread fillings contain mouthwatering ingredients: herbs, sweet and sour carrots and papaya, cucumber, chili, liver pate, egg sauce, flavorful broth, seasoned sauce, various meats, and sausage.
Because of the dish’s flexibility, neatness, and speed of preparation, Vietnamese people often buy Banh Mi to take away instead of eating at the stores like other foods. Banh Mi is mainly used as a quick breakfast or light snack.
The price of Vietnamese Banh Mi fluctuates wildly but is cheap. In some small shops, a sandwich costs only 10,000 VND to 20,000 VND. In large and delicious bakeries, the average price of a sandwich is 30,000 VND to 50,000 VND.
2. Common types of Vietnamese bread:
Banh Mi is divided into two groups due to differences in the ingredients of its fillings, including vegetarian and meat bread.
2.1. Meat bread
The best thing about a loaf of Vietnamese bread lies in the chef’s creativity. As long as he is passionate about bread, he can turn any meat or even fish into the perfect ingredient for a crispy and fragrant Banh Mi and turn it into a drool-worthy food.
2.1.1. Classic bread
Many years ago, the most common bread in Vietnam had char-siu pork as its filling. Its appearance was much more modest than that of today.
The bread base is not much different than modern ones, featuring a crispy outer and a soft, spongy interior. But the meat filling is made quite roughly. It is mainly fatty pork, thinly sliced and marinated with spices.
The char-siu pork sauce is used to fill inside the bread. The vegetables are simple, such as Vietnamese coriander and shredded green onions. The seller would add chili, depending on the diner’s request.
However, the bread is still tasty because of the heavy, complete characteristics of the starch and the fatty pork sauce, which make it soft, fragrant, and harmonious. Typically, although the amount of vegetables is small, most have a strong, rich aroma, helping to balance the starch and fat.
2.1.2. Vietnamese bread today
Typical loaves of Banh Mi in Vietnam have been continuously upgraded, along with the development of society and people’s eating needs. People have created irresistible meat bread based on the fatty char-siu pork bread.
Banh Mi nowadays includes various tasty loaves of bread with pork, chicken, beef, ostrich, mackerel, salmon, cold cuts, ham, pork skin, fish sausage, grilled pork, roasted pork, and fried chicken eggs. In short, anything the chef can prepare to taste good enough can become the fillings of Vietnamese Banh Mi.
Of course, many people affirm that the deliciousness of meat bread is also thanks to the presence of liver pate. This type of Banh Mi is indescribably attractive thanks to a bit of fat mixed with light sweetness and the feeling of being rich in protein from the pate.
To balance the fatty taste of meat and the heavy taste of starch, people add sweet and sour pickled papaya, carrots, lots of vegetables, and cucumbers to modern bread loaves. They also add a little smooth, fatty, fresh egg sauce.
Pour the elaborately prepared minced meat sauce inside. This sauce is an essential catalyst for helping the ingredients in the filling blend together. At the same time, it allows the bread to become soft and fragrant instead of dry and hard.
When you take a bite of Banh Mi, the first feeling is the crust’s crispiness. Deep inside, the fresh vegetables and pickles make the palate light and cool. Finally, the meat is rich and surprisingly delicious.
All blend together, creating a Vietnamese dish – Banh Mi with enough flavors: salty, sweet, sour, spicy, fatty, rich, crispy, and fragrant. And, just a neat bread load is enough to make people remember it forever after eating it once.
2.2. Vegetarian bread
This type of bread does not appear as often and widely as meat sandwiches. It is sold almost exclusively on the 15th and 1st of each lunar month to meet the vegetarian needs of Vietnamese people.
The difference between vegetarian bread and meat bread lies in the filling. While the meat bread filling has meat as the main ingredient, the vegetarian bread filling only includes vegetables, edible roots, tofu, and mushrooms.
The simplest vegetarian bread will have a filling of peanut butter and sweetened condensed milk.
Meanwhile, the loaves of vegetarian bread that many people love will have a filling that includes more sophisticated ingredients. It can consist of braised mushrooms, marinated bean curd, vegetarian sausage made from soybeans, roasted peanuts, and braised seitan.
Of course, herbs, cucumbers, sweet and sour papaya, and carrots are essential ingredients in this vegetarian Banh Mi.
This bread may not seem as appealing to some customers as meat bread. But if you have the chance, you can try it once to feel the difference and its interestingness.
As a Vietnamese, I love both vegetarian and meat sandwiches. Each type has its own appeal.
3. Where is the best place to eat Vietnamese bread?
Usually, the answer to the question “Where is the best place to eat Vietnamese bread?” lies in each person’s taste and assessment.
However, through general reviews from our team and tourists, we give you some outstanding suggestions:
1. Hoi An bread:
Many tourists affirm that Hoi An bread is the most attractive. Among them, a few addresses are mentioned, such as:
- Madam Khanh Bread, No. 115 Tran Cao Van, Hoi An City
- Phuong Bread, No. 2B Phan Chau Trinh, Hoi An City
- Bich Bread, No. 51 Phan Chau Trinh, Hoi An City
2. Saigon bread:
As delicious as bread anywhere in the country, Saigon is also an excellent place to enjoy Vietnamese bread.
You can go to:
- Banh mi Huynh Hoa, 30 Le Thi Rieng, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
- Banh mi 362, 25 Tran Cao Van, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
- Banh mi Ba Huynh, 185K Cong Quynh, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
3. Hanoi bread:
Hanoi is a must-see in the places with the best bread in Vietnam. Enjoy Hanoi bread; you will be amazed by its delicious flavor.
You can try Hanoi bread at:
- Banh mi Pho Co, 38 Dinh Liet, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
- Banh mi Dan To, 22 Tran Nhat Duat, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
- Banh mi 25, 25 Hang Ca, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
