Thu Hà

Vietnamese bánh mỳ (bread) was ranked first among the 100 tastiest sandwiches in the world by TasteAtlas last month.

Bread was first made popular in Việt Nam by the French since 1859, but a source from the HCM City’s Tourism Department said it could have been present in the country earlier than that, through trade and commerce with Europeans.

Professional chef Phạm Tuấn Hải, who is an addict of bánh mỳ, said famous and popular Vietnamese bánh mỳ include bánh mỳ thịt (pork), bánh mỳ xíu mại (pork and shrimp balls), bánh mỳ chả cá (grilled chopped fish), bánh mỳ heo quay (roasted pork), bánh mỳ gà nướng (roasted chicken), bánh mỳ ốp la (sunny-side up egg), bánh mỳ chả lụa (pork paste) and bánh mỳ que (breadstick).

“I like bánh mỳ xíu mại very much. Xíu mại is small minced pork and shrimp balls. It is eaten with special sauce and fresh herbs,” Hải said, adding that he also likes to enjoy a crispy bread with its filling of grilled chopped fish accompanied with fresh onion, coriander, cucumber, fried dried onion topped with aromatic flavour sauce.

Hải said that his wife is a fan of crispy bread with a filling of roasted chicken, fresh carrot threads, cucumber, lettuce and others herbs. She also likes bánh mỳ chả lụa, a characteristic northern style. 

John Henry, from the US, who joined the first Bread Festival held in HCM City last year, said, “I enjoyed Vietnamese bread and its tasty fillings so much. I tried bánh mỳ with egg and traditional bánh mỳ with pork and roasted chicken.”

David Farley from BBC UK, who enjoyed bread at 118A Huế Street in Hà Nội, said, “It is the tastiest dish in the world.”

The filling includes thin pork slices, lean pork floss, pate, five spice powder and butter topped with peppery meat sauce and herbs.

David said he has eaten 15 breads at different shops at different times. He confirmed that the above-mentioned bread was the most magical.

In 2020 Vietnamese bread was for the first time presented on the Google homepage of more than 10 world nations.

In 2018, CNN named Hội An bread “king of sandwiches in the world”. Meanwhile, the renowned tourism magazine Fodor voted Vietnamese bread among the 30 tastiest sandwiches in the world that people should try.

In 2017, Rough Guides from the UK voted Vietnamese bread one of tastiest dishes in the world. In the same year Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull enjoyed his bread breakfast on a Đà Nẵng Street.

The World Records Union in 2016 recognised Vietnamese bánh mỳ and bún chả (grilled pork and rice noodle) among top 100 most famous dishes in the world and in 2014 the Vietnamese bánh mì created a fever when it was ranked in the top 20 best street foods in the world by Huffington Post, a prestigious website in the US.

The National Geographic in 2013 voted Vietnamese bread as one of best 11 street dishes in the world. The US Conde’ Nast Traveler also listed it among 12 best street food in the globe. The Guardian in 2012 praised Vietnamese bánh mỳ “the tastiest sandwich in the world.” — VNS