Bánh Mì: Recipe and Ingredients of Vietnamese Bread

Banh Mi (Vietnamese Bread or Vietnamese Sandwich), the name that has been deeply imprinted in the minds of many Vietnamese people, has become the pride of the nation and is one of the representatives of the quintessence of Vietnamese cuisine. Experiencing many ups and downs in history, Bánh Mì or Vietnamese Bread has now crossed the national border and left its mark in the world cuisine.

The original recipe of traditional bread was flour mixed with water and yeast, then shaped into different shapes to attract diners. Until now, the origin and time of bread appearing in the world has not been determined, but there are documents that say bread has been around for 10 thousand years, in the Neolithic age when agriculture there are many transformations. In particular, at this time, people knew how to grow wheat and use it to make bread.

There are also other documents that record the appearance of bread more than 30,000 years ago or in ancient Egypt. Until the early years of AD, the Romans brought bread to France and from the 11th century onwards, this cake gradually became the main food in this country - French Baguette.

In Vietnam, the first loaves of bread followed the French colonialists to our country in 1859 with the name Baguette bread. At that time, because of economic conditions, bread was only used as a snack for local people.

Then, under the hands of talented Vietnamese bakers, breads bearing the very nature of Vietnamese people were born. Initially, there were only a few small but very famous places such as Hoa Ma bread, then the bread continued to be modified to have the current size and length. Experiencing many ups and downs in history, today bread has become a special highlight in Vietnamese cuisine.

Today's rustic cake is sold all over the roads in big cities to the countryside, making many foreign diners excited. The golden loaves are baked on hot coals to make them crispy before adding the filling to make anyone who sees them crave. People no longer consider bread as a toy anymore, but bread has become the main dish for all subjects, it is both delicious, cheap and very convenient.

Not only famous in the country, Vietnamese bread is also loved in many countries around the world. Proudly, on March 24, 2011, the word "bread" was added to the Oxford dictionary, ranked in the top of the world's best sandwiches. Not only that, but National Geographic magazine also praised Vietnamese Banh Mi as one of the 11 best street foods…

In particular, in 2018, Hoi An bread was recognized by CNN as the "King of sandwiches in the world" and most recently, on March 24, 2020, Vietnamese bread continued to be honored when it was on the interface. Google homepage in more than 10 countries.

• Bread ingredients:

What makes the world's diners surprised when enjoying Vietnamese bread rolls is the wonderfully delicious taste created with very rustic and close ingredients. The beauty of Vietnamese people is in the simplicity but still exuding sophistication, from the most ordinary ingredients, but when combined, they give birth to the famous and famous banh mi that transcends borders. nation.

The main ingredients for making VIETNAM BREAD are animal meat processed into sausages, shumai, roasted pork, liver pate, stewed minced meat with spices,... There are also eggs and fish sardines, shredded chicken, onion fat, ham, butter… Going around the three regions of the country, you'll find that each region will have its own unique flavor of bread, but it's delicious everywhere, and also makes the hearts of many people. guest.

However, a delicious loaf of bread not only has meat but also needs to have thinly sliced cucumbers, pickles, coriander, onions, scallions, basil... and especially indispensable "divine" sauce. " to wake up the famous delicious taste. Many places do not make sauces, use soy sauce, salt and pepper, fish sauce, soup powder ... to replace, add a little mayonnaise or chili sauce, just like that, there is a loaf of bread to make "sobbing". the hearts of many people.

• Recipe of How to Make Banh Mi (Vietnamese Bread)

The bread must be crispy, then cut a line along the body of the cake, then spread the pate, turn the filling inside, and finally pour the sauce on top to complete. Although the processing is so simple, when you look at the quick hands of the ladies selling all the meat, adding vegetables and then drizzling with sauce, you will find it hard to resist this familiar cake. Each ingredient added to the loaf of bread contributes to the delicious taste of this simple and dear dish.

• Some Types of Bread in Vietnam

The most interesting point in Vietnamese cuisine is going through three regions of the country, everywhere there are bread, but each region has different types depending on the filling inside:

- Meatloaf: The most popular in Saigon, the filling includes meat, butter, rolls, pate, cold meat, cilantro, pickles and chili.

- Banh mi shumai: Xiu mai is actually pork with tomato sauce, a bit sweet in Saigon, while in Da Lat, shumai bread has a spicy taste.

- Banh Mi: Bread is sandwiched with shredded pork or pork skin, adding a little fish sauce on top, simple but very tasty.

- Fluffy bread: Hearing the name means knowing the main ingredient to make this type of bread is definitely rubbing cotton. Usually the seller will spray a little soy sauce on the cake to add more flavor.

- Sardine bread: Sardines in tomato sauce are delicious when eaten with bread. If you have tasted it once, you will definitely remember the delicious taste of this sardines bread.

In addition, there are many other varieties such as braised beef bread, char siu, pate, toad bread, tofu, fried rice, avocado, omelet, bread stick... Although there is a difference, it certainly has been As Vietnamese bread, the taste is always delicious, not fussy, but the delicious taste is made from the simplest ingredients.

Some Famous bakeries to Try Banh Mi in Saigon and Hanoi

As the two largest cities in the country, Hanoi and Saigon can be compared to the "paradise" of famous delicious bakeries:

• The best bakeries in Hanoi to try Vietnamese Banh Mi

Hoang Duc skewers of meat bread (55 Lang pagoda, Dong Da district): The shop is decorated like a very interesting miniature subsidy Hanoi. The bread here has fragrant grilled skewers sandwiched inside and attractive sweet and sour pickles. You can order more meat skewers to eat with garlic butter bread if you like.

Hai Map Bread (23 Hang Duong, Hoan Kiem District): The most special feature of this shop is the homemade bread with a cake flavor similar to Huynh Hoa Saigon bread. The filling includes smooth pate, pork belly, spring rolls, garlic sausage, shrimp paste, ham, fresh egg sauce, char siu, pickles, soy sauce, coriander, cucumber, scallions, green peppers... All blends together. together, a delicious loaf of bread, rich in flavor, greasy with pate, and a little spicy of green chili, really makes anyone who eats it, remember it forever.

Banh mi people (Tran Nhat Duat and Cao Thang junction): The shop started selling at 3 am but from 2:30 pm, diners waited in long queues to buy. The bread filling will be put into the pan by the owner to stir well before adding it to the cake. It is best to eat the cake at the shop because if you bring it back, the cake will be stale and the taste is not complete.

• Best places that sell Vietnamese Sandwich in Saigon.

Huynh Hoa Banh Mi (26 Le Thi Rieng, District 1): Considered the 'star' of bakeries, Huynh Hoa's bread is famous for "not eating burgers, but pork rolls with bread" . Just take a bite of the cake, you will immediately be immersed in a very special, fragrant, and delicious taste.

Ms. Diep's bread (238 Vo Thanh Trang, Ward 11, Tan Binh District): This bakery has been around for decades and is always crowded with customers 24/24. A loaf of bread will be full of pate, butter, meat, patties, pickles, cilantro... and the price is very cheap.

Hoa Ma Bread (53 Cao Thang, Ward 04, District 3): This is one of the first banh mi places in Saigon. The side dishes at this restaurant are "exclusive", so they are loved by many people.

In addition, you can go to Nguyen Trai grilled meat sandwich (First Alley 39 Nguyen Trai, District 1), Bay Ho bread (19 Huynh Khuong Ninh, Da Kao, District 1), toad bread (112A Nguyen Thai Son, Ward 3, Go Vap District)… to discover and have great experiences about Vietnamese bread.

Banh Mi 25 (25 P. Hàng Cá, Hàng Bồ, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội): Located in Hanoi Old Quarter, near Hoan Kiem Lake and French Quarter, Banh Mi 25 Shop offers extensive sandwich menu at a popular stall with a simple seating area across the road.

• Some Vietnamese bakeries in the world

In Hong Kong, Le Petit Saigon is an extremely famous Vietnamese restaurant with banh mi filled with chicken, shumai, pork and vegetarian cakes. Theign Yie Phan - The restaurant's chef once shared that she was fascinated by the delicious taste of this simple cake.

London (England) is known for its most luxurious European dishes, but the simple taste of the loaves at Banh Mi 11 still attracts many people. From a small stall located in the Broadway market, now Bread 11 has become a famous brand frequented by gourmets.

Next to Banh Mi 11 shop, Call! It is also a famous place to sell delicious Vietnamese bread on Old Street in the British capital. The cakes at this shop are made with traditional ingredients such as pork, salted carrots, cucumbers, coriander, onions, and chili peppers. Although simple, it is very delicious and pleases even the most fastidious diners.

Located at Waseda Dori Street, near Takadanobaba Station, Banh Mi Sandwich restaurant makes many diners of the land of cherry blossoms "fall in love" with delicious Vietnamese bread rolls filled with grilled beef, ham, pork, chicken and pate. perfect. The price of each loaf depends on the size, averaging about 550 yen (115,000 VND).

Another Vietnamese bakery in the world that cannot fail to mention is Bun Mee in San Francisco, USA. If you have tasted the bread here once, surely every diners will always remember the delicious taste of the rustic cake from Vietnam.

It can be seen that Vietnamese bread has been and continues to be recognized by the world, is a harmonious combination between the quintessence of national cuisine with world cuisine, and is the pride of the whole country. Any child who is far from home is always reminiscing about the dishes of his motherland, and in there, it is certainly indispensable for a simple and dear loaf of bread.

Adventure Journey

See Also:

• Best Time of  the Year to Visit Vietnam
• The List of 10 Best Beaches in Vietnam
• List of Vietnam's 10 Best Places to Visit