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Banh Mi is a Vietnamese baguette with a crispy outer and soft inside, filled with different ingredients. This Vietnamese sandwich is a popular street food and is often consumed for breakfast or any snack during the day.
Banh Mi (Source: Banh mi cha ca Ma Hai)
The exact time when Banh Mi appeared in Vietnam is still a big question mark. However, most historians agree that its origin was the famous baguette brought by the French in the mid-19th century, following the French invasion of Indochina.
French baguettes - The origin of Vietnamese sandwiches (Source: Sweet • Sour • Savory)
According to some opinions, baguettes officially appeared in the South around the late 1850s, then in the North around the first half of the 1870s, and finally in the Central region. At that time, the French built the first brick bakeries in Vietnam to serve the needs of the upper class.
The first kind of baguette was classic French style, served with a plate of ham, pate, cheese, and butter. After that, because Vietnamese climate characteristics made bread more prone to spoilage, many shops often baked them twice a day.
Baguette served with ham, butter, and vegetables (Source: Smithfield)
People mainly ate baguettes with a little butter and sugar for breakfast. Sometimes, they cut it into pieces to eat with soup, beef steaks, fried eggs, or milk coffee. As time goes by, Banh Mi has become a popular and unmissable dish in Vietnamese cuisine.
The first half of the 20th Century: Variations and birth
In the 1920s, Banh Mi appeared more often in Vietnamese meals. After the French left, Southerners were free to vary French dishes to use local ingredients, such as replacing butter with mayonnaise and adding chili and pickles, thereby reducing the amount of meat needed - which was an expensive item at that time.
A man bought bread from a store in Sai Gon (Source: A Family Church)
Since the late 1950s, banh mi stores gradually appeared, along with many different versions to adapt to the local conditions and local taste.
The 1970s: Milestones
The first historical milestone that laid the foundation for the widespread of this special bread in Vietnamese culture was when the Saigon government allowed banh mi to appear in the diet of elementary school students and built traditional brick ovens.
Banh Mi has become a popular snack for Vietnamese people (Source: Kenh14)
Over time, bread has been present in all three regions of Vietnam, modified to please diverse diners: the inside part became increasingly spongy and thin, the crust was thicker, and the size of the bread was also smaller for convenience.
The next decades - Now: Reaffirming position
Since 1985, this unique food become a light meal for workers, office workers, and school children. Besides, the ingredients became extremely diverse and rich because people added different types of butter, cereals, dried fruits, meat floss…
Nowadays, Banh Mi is a casual food for all ages, popularized for its cheap price and delicious taste.
Tourists enjoy Banh Mi (Source: Bao Lao Dong)
Suggestion for you: South Vietnam Tours
The filling inside Banh Mi varies depending on regional taste or personal preferences. Some most popular versions contain ham, pork, pate, eggs, chili, butter, pickles, sausage, and vegetables. Depending on each store, they can use chili sauce, mayonnaise, or private sauce recipes.
Banh Mi with meat: This is the most popular variation in Ho Chi Minh City. The loaf is split lengthwise and filled with meat, sausage, butter, pate, pork head paste, ham, a little onion, pickers, and chili peppers.
Roasted pork filling (Source: FPT Shop)
Banh Mi with rice dumpling cake: This variation origins in Hue. Its filling is mainly rice dumpling cake containing shrimp, meat, and seasoning wrapped in a small dough - a specialty in Hue. Other ingredients are chopped chilies, vegetables, and garlic-chilli fish sauce.
Banh Mi stuffed with rice dumpling cake (Source: VinWonders)
Banh Mi with fish paste: It is popular in Ho Chi Minh City and Nha Trang. Fresh fish paste is made in an oblong shape, and fried until golden brown in boiling oil, then sandwiched on a crispy bread and added pickles, cucumber, chili sauce, soy sauce, or peppers depending on taste.
Fish paste filling (Source: Banh Mi Ma Hai - An Nhon)
Banh Mi in a pan: Another favored version in Hanoi. Crispy bread is served with a pan or cast iron tray filled with pate, ham, fried eggs, sausage, and some pickles.
Banh Mi in a pan (Source: Travelline)
Besides, there are other variations such as Tofu Banh Mi, Banh Mi made from dragonfruit, Shumai Banh Mi, and so on. Vietnamese people have adapted this dish according to the local cuisine and personal taste, creating a diverse and attractive menu.
Making a Banh Mi does not require much cooking skills like other dishes. You can totally prepare your meal as you like.
For the outer shell part, you can buy an original bread in any store instead of preparing a dough yourself, since it’s quite complicated and requires time and certain skills. Bake your bread in the oven for a while if you like it crispy.
Buying ready bread in stores helps the preparation more easily (Source: Dien may XANH)
Regarding the filling, you can put anything you like inside. Recommended ingredients are ham or meat, pickles, fried eggs, carrot and cucumber slices, butter, and sauces like chili or mayonnaise.
Common ingredients (Source: Vu Nhu - Banh mi truyen thong Ha Noi)
When everything is ready, all you need to do is cut your bread lengthwise, then stuff your favorite ingredients inside, and finally enjoy it.
Address: 38 Dinh Liet Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
Opening time: 6.30 am - 11.45 pm
Price: VND 15.000 - 65.000
Address: 26 Vo Van Dung, Dong Da District, Hanoi
Opening time: 9 am - 5 pm
Price: VND 20.000 - 50.000
Tuli Bread (Source: Shopee food)
Address: 201AB Doi Can, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
Opening time: 7 am - 10 pm
Price: VND 20.000 - 35.000
Address: 25 Hang Ca, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
Opening time: 7 am - 9 pm
Price: VND 25.000 - 35.000
Banh Mi 25 (Source: SilverKris)
Address: 14 Tran Cao Van, Phu Hoi, Hue City, Thua Thien Hue Province
Opening time: 6.30 am - 11.00 am; 3.00 pm - 3.00 am
Price: VND 10.000 - 25.000
Address: 05 Doan Thi Diem, Hue City, Thua Thien Hue Province
82 Nguyen Hoang, Hue City, Thua Thien Hue Province
Opening time: 6.00 am - 10.30 am; 3.00 pm - 9.30 pm
Price: VND 12.000 - 30.000
Thang Dat Bakery (Source: Facebook)
Address: 586-588 Thong Nhat, Ward 16, Gò Vấp District, HCMC
Opening time: 6 am - 9 pm
Price: VND 10.000 - 30.000
Address: 31 Tran Quang Dieu, Ward 14, District 3, HCMC
Opening time: 9.30 am - 10 pm
Price: VND 25.000 - 70.000
Chao restaurant (Source: Momo)
Address: 26 Le Thi Rieng Street, Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1, HCMC
Opening time: 6 am - 10 pm
Price: VND 73.000/meal
Banh Mi is a typical street food in Vietnam that every tourist should try once. With diverse variations, you can always find a Banh Mi that satisfies your taste and preference. Let’s contact Asia King Travel now and find a place to try out your special Banh Mi!
Suggestion for you: Vietnam Excursions
