Bánh mì (pronounced 'bun mee') is a popular Vietnamese variety of sandwiches that share the same core ingredient - a baguette. The baguette was brought over to Vietnam during the colonial period, and nowadays it is one of the few happy legacies from the time.
The crusty bread, condiments, and meats are all a legacy of French and Chinese colonialism, while cilantro, chili, and pickles reflect the Vietnamese taste for fresh vegetables and bright flavors. In the beginning, most banh mi sandwiches consisted of bread, meat, and seasonings, with no added vegetables.
MOST ICONIC Bánh mì
View moreBánh mì thịt is a traditional bánh mì sandwich variation in which thịt means meat. As the name suggests, the sandwich is made with various Vietnamese cold cuts such as sliced roasted pork, sliced pork belly, chả (sliced ham), or chả lụa pork sausage, along with cucumbers, mayonnaise, pickled carrots and daikon, and liver pâté stuffed into a bánh mì roll.
The sandwich is often garnished with ingredients such as coriander, black pepper, and sliced chili peppers. These meat-filled sandwiches are common throughout Vietnam and they’re a staple of school children and factory workers. Bánh mì thịt is usually enjoyed for breakfast and lunch, but the sandwiches can be eaten for any meal of the day if bought from street stall vendors.
Bánh mì heo quay is a traditional bánh mì sandwich variation made with roasted pork belly as the main ingredient. The pork is roasted with a thick layer of salt and spices. It is sliced and served on a freshly baked bánh mì roll.
The sandwich is then dressed with a combination of mayonnaise, pickled carrots and daikon, cucumbers, cilantro, and chives. If desired, sliced chili peppers can be added to the sandwich as a topping, making it very spicy. One side of bánh mì heo quay can also be spread with chicken liver pate before the sliced pork belly is added to the sandwich.
Bánh mì đặc biệt is a traditional bánh mì sandwich variety originating from Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). The sandwich usually consists of a split baguette that's filled with pork liver pâté and thinly sliced cold cuts such as headcheese, giò lụa sausage, and pork shank.
Next, the baguette is filled with mayonnaise, pickled carrots and daikon, sliced chili peppers, cucumber strips, and coriander. This type of bánh mì is also known as special combination bánh mì, and it can be found at numerous street carts in the country.
Bánh mì gà nướng is a traditional bánh mì sandwich variety that’s prepared with grilled chicken pieces as the main ingredient. In order to prepare the sandwich, a split bánh mì roll is usually thinly smeared with liver pate and mayonnaise, and the bread is then stuffed with shredded grilled chicken and topped with pickled daikon and carrots, sliced chili peppers, coriander, cucumber slices, and often a drizzle of soy sauce.
If desired, a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper can be used to finish the sandwich. This type of bánh mì can be enjoyed throughout Vietnam and it’s often bought from street food vendors.
Bánh mì xíu mại is a traditional bánh mì sandwich variety made with ground pork meatballs as the main ingredient. The meatballs are usually made with a combination of ground pork, corn starch, fish sauce, garlic, black pepper, scallions, and jicama.
They’re cooked in a sauce consisting of tomatoes, garlic, oil, sugar, and fish sauce. In order to prepare the sandwich, the meatballs are placed into a sliced bánh mì roll along with the sauce, and bánh mì xíu mại is then typically topped with coriander, pickled daikon and carrots, and sliced chili peppers, if desired.
Bánh mì ốp la is a traditional bánh mì sandwich variation made with fried eggs as the main ingredient. The fried eggs can replace the meat in the sandwich or they can be used alongside meat such as chả lụa pork sausage or slices of roasted pork belly.
The eggs are stuffed into a bánh mì roll, and the sandwich is then usually topped with cucumbers, tomatoes, coriander, and pickled daikon and carrots. Typical condiments include mayonnaise, soy sauce, or hot chili sauce. Depending on the vendor selling the sandwich, it can also contain added ingredients such as headcheese or liver pâté.
Bánh mì chả lụa is a traditional bánh mi sandwich variety that’s made with Vietnam’s version of ham – a steamed pork sausage called chả lụa as the main ingredient. The chả lụa is a mixture of ground pork, spices, and herbs that’s wrapped in banana leaves, steamed, and sliced when eaten.
In order to prepare the bánh mì chả lụa sandwich, slices of the pork sausage are placed into split bánh mi rolls, and the sandwich is then topped with classic accompaniments such as pickled carrots and daikon, coriander, cucumbers, sliced chili peppers, and maybe some pâté or a drizzle of soy sauce.
Bánh mì giò thủ is a traditional banh mi sandwich variety that’s made with head cheese as the main ingredient. In order to prepare the sandwich, the bánh mì rolls are split and usually filled with a Vietnamese combination of pork ears, skin, fat, and tendons that are processed into a roll and sliced.
The slices of head cheese are typically accompanied by classic bánh mì fares such as pickled daikon and carrots, cucumbers, coriander, and sliced chili peppers. The sandwiches can be bought throughout the country at street food stalls.
Bánh mì chả cá is a traditional type of bánh mì sandwich made with fish patties as the main ingredient. In order to prepare it, a bánh mì roll or a Vietnamese baguette is split lengthwise, then filled with fried fish cakes and classic bánh mì fare such as scallions, coriander, soy sauce, sliced chili peppers, or pickled daikon and carrots.
The fish cakes can be pre-made or prepared from scratch, and they usually consist of pounded fish fillets, fish sauce, garlic, sesame oil, salt, and white pepper. The paste is formed into patties, which are then fried until golden. This sandwich can be bought at street stands throughout the country.
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