Bánh mì
Encyclopedia
Bánh mì or bánh mỳ (ˈbʌnmiː, ɓǎːɲ mî) is a Vietnamese term for all kinds of bread. Bread, or more specifically the baguette, was introduced by the French during its colonial period. The bread most commonly found in Vietnam is single serve and resembles a torpedo, therefore the term bánh mì is synonymous with this type of bread. The bánh mì is usually more airy than its western counterpart, so as a result, has a thinner crust.
The sandwich made from bánh mì include meat and soy fillings such as steamed, pan-roasted or oven-roasted seasoned pork belly, Vietnamese sausage, grilled pork
, grilled pork patties, spreadable pork liver pâté
, pork floss, grilled chicken, chicken floss, canned sardines in tomato sauce, soft pork meatballs in tomato sauce, head cheese, fried eggs, and tofu. Accompanying vegetables include fresh cucumber slices, cilantro and pickled carrots and daikon in shredded form. Spicy chili sauce is normally found in bánh mì sold by vendors in Vietnam. In western countries, especially the U.S., the chili sauce has been replaced with sliced jalapeños, a type of chili pepper that is not grown and consumed in Vietnam. In southern Vietnam, homemade mayonnaise is commonly added to the sandwich. Laughing Cow cheese is also a popular filling in Vietnam.
Abroad, bánh mì shops can be found in areas with a Vietnamese immigrant community. The sandwich has become more accepted by mainstream populations in certain urban centers.
Although the term "bánh mì" itself only means bread without any fillings, the term is used to refer to a type of meat-filled sandwich found in Vietnamese bakeries abroad, especially in the US, Canada, Australia, France where there are substantial Vietnamese populations. In the Vietnamese language, the term "bánh mì" is not enough to describe a meat-filled sandwich. Therefore, additional words are added to describe the kind of fillings. For example, "bánh mì pâté thịt" means a sandwich with pâté and meat, usually pork bellies since it is the most common kind of meat. "Bánh mì pâté cha thịt" means a sandwich with pâté, Vietnamese sausage and meat. However, even in Vietnam when somebody says "I'm going to have a bánh mì for breakfast," it implies that he or she is going to have a meat-filled sandwich for breakfast, not just bread.
"Banh mi" was added to the Oxford English Dictionary on March 24, 2011.
The sandwich is a product of French colonialism in Indochina
, combining ingredients
from the French (baguettes, pâté and mayonnaise
) with native Vietnamese ingredients like cilantro (coriander leaves), hot peppers, and pickle
d carrot
s.
The classic version bánh mì thịt nguội, sometimes known as bánh mì đặc biệt or "special combo", is made with various Vietnamese cold cut
s such as sliced pork or pork bellies, cha lua, and head cheese
, along with the liver pâté and vegetables.
Some restaurants also offer bánh mì chay, a vegetarian option, made with tofu
or seitan. In Vietnam, vegetarian sandwiches are rarely found on the streets. They are usually made at Buddhist temples during special religious events.
Another option is the breakfast bánh mì, either with scrambled eggs served in a baguette, or the version eaten more widely for breakfast in Vietnam: eggs fried sunny-side-up with onion
s, sprinkled with soy sauce
or Maggi
sauce, and eaten with a fresh (and sometimes buttered) baguette.
The sandwich made from bánh mì include meat and soy fillings such as steamed, pan-roasted or oven-roasted seasoned pork belly, Vietnamese sausage, grilled pork
Pork
Pork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig , which is eaten in many countries. It is one of the most commonly consumed meats worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BC....
, grilled pork patties, spreadable pork liver pâté
Pâté
Pâté is a mixture of ground meat and fat minced into a spreadable paste. Common additions include vegetables, herbs, spices, and either wine or cognac, armagnac or brandy...
, pork floss, grilled chicken, chicken floss, canned sardines in tomato sauce, soft pork meatballs in tomato sauce, head cheese, fried eggs, and tofu. Accompanying vegetables include fresh cucumber slices, cilantro and pickled carrots and daikon in shredded form. Spicy chili sauce is normally found in bánh mì sold by vendors in Vietnam. In western countries, especially the U.S., the chili sauce has been replaced with sliced jalapeños, a type of chili pepper that is not grown and consumed in Vietnam. In southern Vietnam, homemade mayonnaise is commonly added to the sandwich. Laughing Cow cheese is also a popular filling in Vietnam.
Abroad, bánh mì shops can be found in areas with a Vietnamese immigrant community. The sandwich has become more accepted by mainstream populations in certain urban centers.
Although the term "bánh mì" itself only means bread without any fillings, the term is used to refer to a type of meat-filled sandwich found in Vietnamese bakeries abroad, especially in the US, Canada, Australia, France where there are substantial Vietnamese populations. In the Vietnamese language, the term "bánh mì" is not enough to describe a meat-filled sandwich. Therefore, additional words are added to describe the kind of fillings. For example, "bánh mì pâté thịt" means a sandwich with pâté and meat, usually pork bellies since it is the most common kind of meat. "Bánh mì pâté cha thịt" means a sandwich with pâté, Vietnamese sausage and meat. However, even in Vietnam when somebody says "I'm going to have a bánh mì for breakfast," it implies that he or she is going to have a meat-filled sandwich for breakfast, not just bread.
"Banh mi" was added to the Oxford English Dictionary on March 24, 2011.
Ingredients
French Indochina
French Indochina was part of the French colonial empire in southeast Asia. A federation of the three Vietnamese regions, Tonkin , Annam , and Cochinchina , as well as Cambodia, was formed in 1887....
, combining ingredients
Fusion cuisine
Fusion cuisine combines elements of various culinary traditions while not being categorized per any one particular cuisine style, and can pertain to innovations in many contemporary restaurant cuisines since the 1970s.-Categories and types:...
from the French (baguettes, pâté and mayonnaise
Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise, , often abbreviated as mayo, is a sauce. It is a stable emulsion of oil, egg yolk and either vinegar or lemon juice, with many options for embellishment with other herbs and spices. Lecithin in the egg yolk is the emulsifier. Mayonnaise varies in color but is often white, cream, or pale...
) with native Vietnamese ingredients like cilantro (coriander leaves), hot peppers, and pickle
Pickling
Pickling, also known as brining or corning is the process of preserving food by anaerobic fermentation in brine to produce lactic acid, or marinating and storing it in an acid solution, usually vinegar . The resulting food is called a pickle. This procedure gives the food a salty or sour taste...
d carrot
Carrot
The carrot is a root vegetable, usually orange in colour, though purple, red, white, and yellow varieties exist. It has a crisp texture when fresh...
s.
The classic version bánh mì thịt nguội, sometimes known as bánh mì đặc biệt or "special combo", is made with various Vietnamese cold cut
Cold cut
Cold cuts are cheeses or precooked or cured meat, often sausages or meat loaves, that are sliced and usually served cold on sandwiches or on party trays. They can be bought pre-sliced in vacuum packs at a supermarket or grocery store, or they can be purchased at a delicatessen or deli counter,...
s such as sliced pork or pork bellies, cha lua, and head cheese
Head cheese
Head cheese , or brawn , is a cold cut that originated in Europe. A version pickled with vinegar is known as souse. Head cheese is not a cheese but a terrine or meat jelly made with flesh from the head of a calf or pig , and often set in aspic. Which parts of the head are used can vary, but the...
, along with the liver pâté and vegetables.
Some restaurants also offer bánh mì chay, a vegetarian option, made with tofu
Tofu
is a food made by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into soft white blocks. It is part of East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and others. There are many different varieties of tofu, including fresh tofu and tofu...
or seitan. In Vietnam, vegetarian sandwiches are rarely found on the streets. They are usually made at Buddhist temples during special religious events.
Another option is the breakfast bánh mì, either with scrambled eggs served in a baguette, or the version eaten more widely for breakfast in Vietnam: eggs fried sunny-side-up with onion
Onion
The onion , also known as the bulb onion, common onion and garden onion, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The genus Allium also contains a number of other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion The onion...
s, sprinkled with soy sauce
Soy sauce
Soy sauce is a condiment produced by fermenting soybeans with Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus sojae molds, along with water and salt...
or Maggi
Maggi
Maggi is a Nestlé brand of instant soups, stocks, bouillon cubes, ketchups, sauces, seasonings and instant noodles. The original company came into existence in 1872 in Switzerland, when Julius Maggi took over his father's mill. It quickly became a pioneer of industrial food production, aiming at...
sauce, and eaten with a fresh (and sometimes buttered) baguette.
See also
- Lee's SandwichesLee's SandwichesLee's Sandwiches International, Inc., is a fast food restaurant chain found in the American Southwest, specializing in Vietnamese cuisine. While originally famous for selling bánh mì , the chain has expanded its offering to many other goods, including packaged spring rolls, desserts, and other...
- Vietnamese cuisine
- Chow mein sandwichChow mein sandwichOriginating in Fall River, Massachusetts in the 1930s or 1940s the chow mein sandwich, is a hot sandwich, which typically consists of a brown gravy-based chow mein mixture placed between halves of a hamburger-style bun, popular on Chinese-American restaurant menus throughout Southeastern...
An east coast Chinese-American sandwich - St. Paul sandwichSt. Paul sandwichThe St. Paul sandwich is a type of sandwich found in Chinese American restaurants in St. Louis, Missouri. The sandwich consists of an egg foo young patty served with dill pickle slices, white onion, mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomato between two slices of white bread.-Origin:One source has the origin...
A midwestern Chinese-American sandwich - Hoagie
- SandwichSandwichA sandwich is a food item, typically consisting of two or more slices of :bread with one or more fillings between them, or one slice of bread with a topping or toppings, commonly called an open sandwich. Sandwiches are a widely popular type of lunch food, typically taken to work or school, or...
External links
- The Banh Mi of My Dreams The Washington Post.
- Bánh Mì: The baguette-bound culinary bonanza Austin Chronicle.
- Banh mi? There is no sub Boston Globe.
- Building on Layers of Tradition The New York Times.