Vietnamese sandwich: A world-renowned street food with special flavor

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Vietnamese sandwich – a symbol of Vietnamese cuisine (Source: Collected)

“Banh mi” is a Vietnamese sandwich that you must try if you are planning for Vietnam travel and tourism. This iconic sandwich has consistently been ranked as one of the best sandwiches in the world. Besides its delicious flavors, let’s find out why this sandwich is so well-liked around the globe.

1. What to know about Vietnamese sandwich?

• Origin

In the early 19th century, the French brought baguettes to Gia Dinh (Saigon) to satisfy their culinary demands. In order to bake hot delicious bread to serve the needs of the upper class, they built the first brick-and-mortar bakeries in Vietnam.

This French-origin specialty quickly gained its popularity in Vietnam. That was also when Saigon’s people modified the baguette into a typical Vietnamese type of bread which has a length of only about 30-40 centimeters. Vietnamese baguette is more hollow, the inside is soft while the outside is crispy. This is also the feature that creates the unique identity of Vietnamese bread compared to its Western counterpart.

Vietnamese bread has a rustic appearance and unforgettable flavor (Source: Collected)

Then, by the hands of talented Vietnamese bakers, Vietnamese bread, which bears the spirit of Vietnamese people, was created. Initially, there were only a few small but very famous bakeries, such as Hoa Ma bread shop, that sold Vietnamese baguette. Then, the bread was gradually modified until it has the current size and length. Experiencing many ups and downs in history, today’s bread, or Vietnamese sandwich as it is usually called, has become a special Vietnamese food.

• Fillings

The main ingredients for making Vietnamese sandwich are sausages, meatballs, roasted pork, liver pate, stewed minced meat, etc. There are also eggs, fish, shredded chicken, ham, or butter, etc. A delicious sandwich consists of not only meat, but also thinly sliced ​​cucumbers, pickles, coriander, onions, scallions, fragrant basil, etc., and especially an indispensable sauce to bring up the famous delicious taste. The sauce is a mixture of soy sauce, salt, pepper, fish sauce, soup powder, mayonnaise, and even chili sauce. Traveling around the three regions of Vietnam, you will see that the Vietnamese sandwich in each region has its own unique flavor, but they are all delicious and well-loved by many people.

For a long time, Banh Mi has become a favourite food of Vietnamese people (Source: Collected)

2. How much is a loaf of bread in Vietnam?

• Which meal do Vietnamese people have Banh Mi for?

Banh Mi is considered a popular fast food and is usually eaten for breakfast or any other meal of the day. Thanks to its reasonable price and widespread popularity, Vietnamese sandwich has become a favorite dish of many people.

Vietnamese sandwich is a food loved by many people (Source: Collected)

• The average price of a loaf of Banh Mi

Usually, a Vietnamese sandwich is sold for 15,000-35,000 VND (around 1.2$), which is considered the most common price. For famous and long-standing bakeries, the price can be up to 50,000-70,000 VND (around 2.4$) thanks to their delicious tastes, special sauces, and quality ingredients. These shops may use high-quality ingredients such as foie gras pate, sausages, boneless pork rolls, smoked meat, etc.

This Vietnamese sandwich, with 6 layers of fillings, is sold for 58,000 VND (around 2.3$) (Source: Collected)

3. The 5 most popular Vietnamese sandwich types

Depending on the fillings, Vietnamese sandwiches may have different names. Below are the 5 most popular types of Vietnamese sandwich.

3.1. Omelet bread

Omelet sandwich is a traditional Vietnamese sandwich variation, with eggs as the main ingredient. The eggs can replace meat as fillings or they can be used alongside meat such as pork sausages or slices of roasted pork belly. The eggs can be scrambled or made into an omelet, served with pickles, soy sauce, chili sauce, etc. Due to its simple preparation, this variation can be found at almost every food vendor.

Omelet bread is a simple yet very appetizing dish (Source: Collected)

3.2. Chicken bread

Chicken bread is a traditional Vietnamese sandwich made with grilled chicken slices as the main ingredient. A loaf of chicken bread is typically smeared with liver pate and mayonnaise. Then it is stuffed with shredded grilled chicken and topped with pickled daikon and carrots, sliced chili peppers, coriander,  slices of cucumber, and a little soy sauce. You can add a finishing touch with a dash of freshly ground black pepper, if preferred.

This type of Vietnamese sandwich is popular throughout Vietnam (Source: Collected)

3.3. Grilled pork bread

This popular Vietnamese sandwich is widely available in most Vietnamese restaurants and sandwich vendors. Choices of meat can be pork belly, pork shoulder, pork chops, or pork butt. Preparation of the meat can be steaming, pan-frying, or grilling, which is the most popular. In addition to the grilled meat, cucumber, tomato, pickles, and a rich sauce help bring a unique flavor for this variation of bread that is both delicious and nutritious.

Grilled pork sandwich is frequently purchased from street food vendors (Source: Collected)

3.4. Juicy crushed pork meatball bread

This is a traditional Vietnamese sandwich made of ground pork meatballs as the main ingredient. The meatballs are typically made from a combination of ground pork, corn starch, fish sauce, garlic, black pepper, scallion, and jicama. Juicy crushed pork meatball bread is typically topped with coriander, pickled daikon, carrots, and chili peppers, if desired.

This variation of Vietnamese sandwich pleases both the taste buds and the eyes (Source: Collected)

3.5. Shredded pork rind bread

This flavorful and aromatic dish is made of thinly sliced pork rinds and marinated pork, tossed with roasted rice powder and fried garlic. This Vietnamese sandwich often has many other delectable fillings such as egg meatloaf, grilled lemongrass pork chops, and egg rolls. To make it an even more awesome combination, vendors also add scallion oil, fresh herbs, cucumber, tomato, carrot, pickled radish, and fish sauce.

Pork rinds add a very unique flavor to the Vietnamese sandwich (Source: Collected)

4. Where to buy Vietnamese sandwich on your trip?

Every region of Vietnam has its own special variation of the sandwich sold at street vendors and eateries, from Da Nang, Nha Trang, to Phu Quoc, etc. You can also find many well-known long-standing banh mi brands in Hanoi, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City.

• Hanoi

The traditional Hanoi bread only consists of a little butter, liver pate, potentially shrimp, ham, char siu, a few slices of pork, and thinly sliced ​​spring rolls. Accompanying vegetables are usually only coriander and cucumber, while the sauce used will be the traditional ground chili sauce that is often used with pho (a kind of Vietnamese noodles).

Some famous places selling bread in Hanoi include Banh mi Pho Co, Banh mi Ba Dan, or Banh mi Nguyen Sinh.

Banh mi Pho Co – an irresistible delicious bread shop in Hanoi (Source: Collected)

After enjoying the famous Vietnamese bread, it is recommended that you visit and have fun at the many tourist destinations in the capital of Vietnam. A favorite destination of tourists is VinKE & Vinpearl Aquarium, which is located right in the heart of Hanoi. Here, you will have the chance to witness one of the largest aquariums in Vietnam while your kids get to experience their dream jobs in the “play and learn” space at VinKE.

A series of exciting experiences are waiting for little tourists at VinKE

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• Hoi An

Hoi An has its own bread variation which can even impress international chefs. The bread is much smaller, with extremely diverse options for fillings, such as ham, sausages, rolls, pork belly, grilled meat, chicken, eggs, cheese, etc. In addition, the butter and sauce that are prepared according to a traditional recipe and the special herbs of the nearby Tra Que Vegetable Village make Hoi An’s bread even more alluring.

There are many delicious banh mi shops in Hoi An. Notably: Banh mi Phuong, Banh mi Madame Khanh, or Banh mi Co Lanh.

The beautiful scenery of Hoi An seems to make Vietnamese sandwich even better

Your trip to Hoi An will be incomplete if you miss out on VinWonders Nam Hoi An. Famed as a top-rated amusement park that perfectly combines modern games and traditional experiences, VinWonders Nam Hoi An will surely bring you many unforgettable memories on your trip to Vietnam.

The magnificent night view at VinWonders Nam Hoi An

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• Ho Chi Minh City

The Vietnamese sandwich in the Southern region is a little different. Due to favorable natural conditions, the sandwiches here often have a lot of vegetables: cucumber, white radish, pickled carrots, onions, cilantro, and chili. There are also many options for fillings, such as omelet, shumai, roasted pork, etc.

Some places that you can visit and enjoy Vietnamese sandwich in Ho Chi Minh City are Banh mi Huynh Hoa, Banh mi Hoa Ma, or the shops on Nguyen Trai street.

Vietnamese sandwich has never disappointed culinary enthusiasts in its 150 years of history in Vietnam. Every place in Vietnam, from small vendors to large restaurants, can provide you with a flavorful loaf of bread with many choices for ingredients. Visiting Vietnam, don’t forget to stop at a local bakery and try the world-famous Banh Mi.

>>> Make your trip to Vietnam even more enjoyable by booking tickets of VinWonders Nam Hoi An and VinKE & Vinpearl Aquarium

>>> And don’t forget to book voucher, combo, tour to Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, Hoi An, Da Nang to grab the best deals before visiting these amazing cities!