{{Short description|Vietnamese bread or sandwich}} {{Use British English|date=July 2016}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}} {{expand Vietnamese|date=August 2025|topic=cult}} {{Infobox food | name = Bánh mì or bánh mỳ | image = Bánh mì thịt nướng.png | image_size = 300px | caption = | alternate_name = Vietnamese roll or sandwich, Saigon roll or sandwich | country = Vietnam | region = Southern Vietnam | creator = | year = 1950s<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.authenticfoodquest.com/banh-mi-best-vietnamese-sandwich/|title=The best Vietnamese Sandwich to Fall in Love With|website=Authenticfoodquest.com|access-date=20 Mar 2020|archive-date=4 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210304205801/https://www.authenticfoodquest.com/banh-mi-best-vietnamese-sandwich/|url-status=live}}</ref> | type = Sandwich | served = | main_ingredient = Vietnamese baguette (also called {{lang|vi|bánh mì}}) | variations = See below | calories = | similar_dish = num pang, khao jee pâté<ref name="NYT Moskin" /> | other = }}
In Vietnamese cuisine, '''{{lang|vi|bánh mì|italic=no}}''', '''bánh mỳ''' or '''banh mi''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|ɑː|n|_|m|iː}},<ref>{{cite dictionary |title=banh mi|dictionary=OxfordDictionaries.com (British & World English) |publisher=Oxford University Press |access-date=9 May 2017| url=https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/banh_mi |archive-date=16 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171216034447/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/banh_mi |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite dictionary|title=banh mi |dictionary=OxfordDictionaries.com (North American English) |publisher=Oxford University Press |access-date=9 May 2017 |url=https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/us/banh_mi |archive-date=16 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171216034518/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/us/banh_mi |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite dictionary |title=banh mi |dictionary=The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language |edition=5th |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt |access-date=9 May 2017|url=https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=banh+mi |archive-date=28 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928222950/https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=banh+mi |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="M-W">{{cite dictionary |title=Banh Mi |dictionary=Merriam-Webster |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. |access-date=9 May 2017 |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/banh%20mi |archive-date=31 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170531141615/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/banh%20mi|url-status=live}}</ref> {{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|æ|n}};<ref>{{cite dictionary |title=banh mi |dictionary=Collins English Dictionary |publisher=HarperCollins |access-date=9 May 2017 |url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/banh-mi|archive-date=24 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171124191850/https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/banh-mi |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="M-W" /> {{IPA|vi|ɓǎjŋ̟ mì|lang}}, (Hanoi: [[Help:IPA/Vietnamese|[ɓaʲŋ̟˧˥.mi˧˩]]] or Saigon: [[Help:IPA/Vietnamese|[ɓan˧˥.mi˧˩]]])), is a short baguette with thin, crisp crust and a soft, airy texture. It is often split lengthwise and filled with meat and savory ingredients like a submarine sandwich and served as a meal, called {{lang|vi|bánh mì thịt}}. Plain {{lang|vi|bánh mì}} is also eaten as a staple food.
A typical Vietnamese roll or sandwich is a fusion of proteins and vegetables from native Vietnamese cuisine such as {{lang|vi|chả lụa}} (Vietnamese sausage),<ref>{{Cite web |last=T |first=Linh |date=2024-03-21 |title=Bánh mì Việt Nam đứng đầu trong 100 món bánh kẹp ngon nhất thế giới |trans-title=Vietnamese Banh Mi ranks first in the world's 100 best sandwiches |url=https://nhandan.vn/banh-mi-viet-nam-dung-dau-trong-100-mon-banh-kep-ngon-nhat-the-gioi-post800915.html |access-date=2025-11-03 |website=Báo Nhân Dân điện tử |language=vi}}</ref> coriander (cilantro), cucumber, pickled carrots, and pickled daikon combined with condiments from French cuisine such as {{lang|fr|pâté}}, along with red chili and mayonnaise.<ref>{{cite news |first=Daniel |last=Young |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/lifestyle/east-meets-west-nam-sandwich-france-influence-indochina-helps-baguette-viet-fave-article-1.742637 |title=East Meets West in 'Nam Sandwich |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200323220056/https://www.nydailynews.com/archives/lifestyle/east-meets-west-nam-sandwich-france-influence-indochina-helps-baguette-viet-fave-article-1.742637 |archive-date=23 March 2020 |work=New York Daily News |date=25 September 1996 }}</ref> However, a variety of popular fillings are used, like {{lang|vi|xá xíu}} (Chinese barbecued pork), {{lang|vi|xíu mại}} (Vietnamese minced pork), {{lang|vi|nem nướng}} (grilled pork sausage), {{lang|vi|đậu hũ}} (tofu), and even ice cream, which is more of a dessert. In Vietnam, bread rolls and sandwiches are typically eaten for breakfast or as a snack.
The baguette was introduced to Vietnam by the French in the mid-19th century, during the Nguyễn dynasty, and became a staple food by the early 20th century.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Minh |first=Tuong |title=Bánh mì xuất hiện ở Việt Nam khi nào? |trans-title=When did Banh Mi appear in Vietnam? |url=https://laodong.vn/van-hoa-giai-tri/banh-my-co-mat-o-viet-nam-tu-bao-gio-932525.ldo |access-date=2025-11-10 |website=laodong.vn}}</ref> In the 1950s, a distinctly Vietnamese style of sandwich developed in Saigon, becoming a popular street food, also known as {{lang|vi|bánh mì Sài Gòn}} ('Saigon sandwich' or 'Saigon-style {{lang|vi|bánh mì}}').<ref>[https://www.latimes.com/recipe/saigon-style-banh-mi Saigon-Style Banh Mi] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200529114050/https://www.latimes.com/recipe/saigon-style-banh-mi |date=29 May 2020 }}, Los Angeles Times</ref><ref name="bm" /> Following the Vietnam War, overseas Vietnamese popularized the {{lang|vi|bánh mì}} sandwich in countries such as Australia, Canada and the United States. In these countries, they are commonly sold in Asian bakeries.
==Terminology== [[File:Banh mi and cuon.jpg|thumb|right|{{lang|vi|Bánh mì}} and {{lang|vi|bì cuốn}}]]
In Vietnamese, the word ''{{lang|vi|bánh mì}}'' is derived from ''{{lang|vi|bánh}}'' (which can refer to many kinds of food, primarily baked goods, including bread) and ''{{lang|vi|mì}}'' ("wheat"). It may also be spelled ''{{lang|vi|bánh mỳ}}'' in northern Vietnam. Taken alone, ''{{lang|vi|bánh mì}}'' means any kind of bread, but it could refer to the Vietnamese baguette or the sandwich made from it. To distinguish the unfilled bread from the sandwich with fillings, the term ''{{lang|vi|bánh mì không}}'' ("plain bread") can be used. To distinguish Vietnamese-style bread from other kinds of bread, the term ''{{lang|vi|bánh mì Sài Gòn}}'' ("Saigon-style bread") or ''{{lang|vi|bánh mì Việt Nam}}'' ("Vietnam-style bread") can be used.
A folk etymology claims that the word ''{{lang|vi|bánh mì}}'' is a corruption of the French ''{{lang|fr|pain de mie}}'', meaning soft, white bread.<ref>{{cite web|title=Banh Mi : le sandwich vietnamien qui va pimenter votre pause déjeuner|first=Sandra|last=Lorenzo|work=HuffPost|date=21 April 2013|access-date=3 April 2018|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.fr/2013/04/18/banh-mi--le-sandwich-viet_n_3110030.html|language=fr|archive-date=4 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180404073046/https://www.huffingtonpost.fr/2013/04/18/banh-mi--le-sandwich-viet_n_3110030.html|url-status=live}}</ref> However, ''{{lang|vi|bánh}}'' (or its Nôm form, {{vi-nom|餅}}) has referred to rice cakes and other pastries since as early as the 13th century, long before French contact.<ref>{{cite wikisource |title=居塵樂道賦 第九會 Cư trần lạc đạo phú, đệ cửu hội |wslink=vi:Cư trần lạc đạo phú/Đệ cửu hội |author=Trần Nhân Tông |authorlink=Trần Nhân Tông |date=c. 1300 |orig-date= 13th century |language=vi}}</ref>
==History== [[File:Bánh mì nhân chà bông, giò lụa, ớt.jpg|thumb|Bánh mì chà bông, giò lụa, chili pepper]] The word {{lang|vi|bánh mì}}, meaning "bread", is attested in Vietnamese as early as the 1830s, in Jean-Louis Taberd's dictionary ''{{lang|la|Dictionarium Latino-Annamiticum}}''.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title=Panis|author=Jean-Louis Taberd|author-link=Jean-Louis Taberd|encyclopedia=Dictionarium Latino-Annamiticum|series=Dictionarium anamitico-latinum|date=1838|page=453|hdl=2027/uc1.b000742998?urlappend=%3Bseq=551|url=https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.b000742998?urlappend=%3Bseq=551|language=la|via=HathiTrust|access-date=12 April 2018|archive-date=4 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211204111547/https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b000742998;seq=551;a=zoom:1|url-status=live}}</ref> The French introduced Vietnam to the baguette, along with other baked goods such as pâté chaud, in the 1860s, at the start of their imperialism in Vietnam.<ref name="wp">{{cite news |title=The Banh Mi of My Dreams |first=Walter |last=Nicholls |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=6 February 2008 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/05/AR2008020500888.html |access-date=20 September 2017 |archive-date=12 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201212140111/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/05/AR2008020500888.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Many sources characterize {{lang|vi|bánh mì}} primarily as a French bread tradition adapted in Vietnam, with local fillings added atop the colonial-era baguette base. Vietnamese vendors layered herbs, pickles, chiles, and meats onto this foundation, producing a distinctive Saigon street-food form by the mid-20th century.<ref name="Vũ Hồng Liên">{{cite book|title=Rice and Baguette: A History of Food in Vietnam|author=Vũ Hồng Liên|location=London|publisher=Reaktion Books|year=2016|pages=147–150|isbn=9781780237046|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UJGEDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT147|via=Google Books|access-date=9 April 2018|archive-date=21 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210721103239/https://books.google.com/books?id=UJGEDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT147|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="NYT Moskin"/><ref name="wp"/> Northern Vietnamese initially called the baguette ''{{lang|vi|bánh tây}}'', literally "Western bánh", while Southern Vietnamese called it {{lang|vi|bánh mì}}, "wheat bánh".<ref name="WSJ Eckhardt" /><ref name="CR Lam" /> Nguyễn Đình Chiểu mentions the baguette in his 1861 poem "{{lang|vi|Văn tế nghĩa sĩ Cần Giuộc|italic=no}}".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thanh Niên |date=12 October 2022 |title=Tôn vinh văn hóa bánh mì Việt |trans-title=Honoring Vietnamese Bánh Mì Culture |url=https://thanhnien.vn/ton-vinh-van-hoa-banh-mi-viet-1851509431.htm |access-date=15 September 2022 |website=Thanh Niên |language=Vietnamese}}</ref> Due to the price of imported wheat at the time, French baguettes and sandwiches were considered a luxury. During World War I, an influx of French soldiers and supplies arrived. At the same time, disruptions of wheat imports led bakers to begin mixing in inexpensive rice flour (which also made the bread fluffier). As a result, it became possible for ordinary Vietnamese to enjoy French staples such as bread.<ref name="Hương Giang" /><ref name="Lê Văn Nghĩa">{{cite news|title=Chuyện xưa – chuyện nay: Bánh mì Sài Gòn trong thơ|trans-title=Then and now: Saigon sandwiches in poetry|author=Lê Văn Nghĩa|work=Tuổi Trẻ|publisher=Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union|date=11 June 2017|access-date=3 April 2018|url=https://dulich.tuoitre.vn/du-lich/chuyen-xua-chuyen-nay-banh-mi-sai-gon-trong-tho-1329645.htm|language=vi|archive-date=8 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308141502/https://dulich.tuoitre.vn/du-lich/chuyen-xua-chuyen-nay-banh-mi-sai-gon-trong-tho-1329645.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="CR Lam" /> Many shops baked twice a day, because bread tends to go stale quickly in the hot, humid climate of Vietnam. Baguettes were mainly eaten for breakfast with some butter and sugar.<ref name="Vũ Hồng Liên" />
[[File:Bánh mì Việt Anh, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh.jpg|thumb|right|upright|A {{lang|vi|bánh mì}} stand in Ho Chi Minh City]]
Until the 1950s, sandwiches hewed closely to French tastes, typically a {{lang|fr|jambon-beurre}} moistened with a mayonnaise or liver {{lang|fr|pâté}} spread.<ref name="Hương Giang" /><ref name="Lê Văn Nghĩa" /><ref name="Vũ Hồng Liên" /><ref name="NYT Moskin">{{cite news|title=Building on Layers of Tradition|first=Julia|last=Moskin|work=The New York Times|date=7 April 2009|access-date=9 April 2018|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/08/dining/08banh.html|archive-date=28 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428051248/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/08/dining/08banh.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The 1954 Partition of Vietnam sent over a million migrants from North Vietnam to South Vietnam, transforming Saigon's local cuisine.<ref name="WSJ Eckhardt" /> Among the migrants were {{lang|vi|Lê Minh Ngọc|italic=no}} and {{lang|vi|Nguyễn Thị Tịnh|italic=no}}, who opened a small bakery named {{lang|vi|Hòa Mã|italic=no}} in District 3. In 1958, {{lang|vi|Hòa Mã|italic=no}} became one of the first shops to sell {{lang|vi|bánh mì thịt}}.<ref name="Hương Giang" /><ref>{{cite news|title=Bánh mì Hòa Mã 50 năm ở Sài Gòn|trans-title=Hòa Mã bakery at 50 years in Saigon|author=Phong Vinh|work=VnExpress|publisher=FPT Group|date=21 November 2015|access-date=3 April 2018|url=https://dulich.vnexpress.net/tin-tuc/tu-van/am-thuc/banh-mi-hoa-ma-50-nam-o-sai-gon-3315493.html|language=vi|archive-date=9 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709190020/https://dulich.vnexpress.net/tin-tuc/tu-van/am-thuc/banh-mi-hoa-ma-50-nam-o-sai-gon-3315493.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|title=5 quán ăn lâu đời nhất Sài Gòn|trans-title=The 5 oldest eateries in Saigon|magazine=Barcode|publisher=Indochine Media Ventures Vietnam|date=8 August 2016|access-date=3 April 2018|url=http://www.barcodemagazine.vn/explore/5-quan-an-lau-doi-nhat-sai-gon/|language=vi|archive-date=4 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180404134422/http://www.barcodemagazine.vn/explore/5-quan-an-lau-doi-nhat-sai-gon/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Around this time, another migrant from the North began selling {{lang|vi|chả}} sandwiches from a basket on a mobylette,<ref>{{cite news|title=Vào hẻm tìm ăn bánh mì cụ Lý|trans-title=Searching the alleys for grandpa Lý's sandwiches|author=P.V.|work=Thanh Niên|publisher=Vietnam United Youth League|date=5 June 2013|access-date=3 April 2018|url=https://thanhnien.vn/doi-song/am-thuc/vao-hem-tim-an-banh-mi-cu-ly-751153.html|language=vi|archive-date=27 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227100450/https://thanhnien.vn/doi-song/am-thuc/vao-hem-tim-an-banh-mi-cu-ly-751153.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and a stand in Gia Định Province (present-day Phú Nhuận District) began selling {{lang|vi|phá lấu}} sandwiches.<ref>{{cite news|title=Xe bánh mì phá lấu 60 năm tại góc phố Sài Gòn|work=Ngôi sao|publisher=VnExpress|date=8 August 2016|access-date=3 April 2018|url=https://ngoisao.net/photo/an-gi/xe-banh-mi-pha-lau-60-nam-tai-goc-pho-sai-gon-3448926.html|language=vi|archive-date=9 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709154655/https://ngoisao.net/photo/an-gi/xe-banh-mi-pha-lau-60-nam-tai-goc-pho-sai-gon-3448926.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Some shops stuffed sandwiches with inexpensive Cheddar cheese, which came from French food aid that migrants from the North had rejected.<ref name="Vũ Hồng Liên" /> Vietnamese communities in France also began selling {{lang|vi|bánh mì}}.<ref name="CR Lam" />
After the Fall of Saigon in 1975, {{lang|vi|bánh mì}} sandwiches became a luxury item once again.<ref name="WSJ Eckhardt" /> During the so-called "subsidy period", state-owned {{lang|vi|phở}} eateries often served bread or cold rice as a side dish, leading to the present-day practice of dipping {{lang|vi|quẩy}} in {{lang|vi|phở}}.<ref name="KHPT Trinh Quang Dung 3">{{cite news|title=Phở theo thời cuộc|trans-title=Pho in the present day|author=Trịnh Quang Dũng|work=Báo Khoa Học Phổ Thông|publisher=Ho Chi Minh City Union of Science and Technology Associations|date=22 January 2010|access-date=22 May 2013|url=http://www.khoahocphothong.com.vn/news/detail/4157/100-nam-pho-viet.html|language=vi|archive-date=13 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130413040848/http://khoahocphothong.com.vn/news/detail/4157/100-nam-pho-viet.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In the 1980s, {{lang|vi|Đổi Mới}} market reforms led to a renaissance in {{lang|vi|bánh mì}}, mostly as street food.<ref name="WSJ Eckhardt" />
Meanwhile, Vietnamese Americans brought {{lang|vi|bánh mì}} sandwiches to cities across the United States. In Northern California, {{lang|vi|Lê Văn Bá|italic=no}} and his sons are credited with popularizing {{lang|vi|bánh mì}} among Vietnamese and non-Vietnamese Americans alike through their food truck services provider and their fast-food chain, Lee's Sandwiches, beginning in the 1980s.<ref name="CR Lam" /> Sometimes {{lang|vi|bánh mì}} was likened to local sandwiches. In New Orleans, a "Vietnamese po' boy" recipe won the 2009 award for the best po' boy at the annual Oak Street Po-Boy Festival.<ref>{{cite news|title=The Vietnamese Po-Boy|publisher=WWNO|date=15 July 2010|url=http://wwno.org/post/vietnamese-po-boy|access-date=8 May 2012|archive-date=14 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714145400/http://wwno.org/post/vietnamese-po-boy|url-status=live}}</ref> A restaurant in Philadelphia also sells a similar sandwich, marketed as a "Vietnamese hoagie".<ref>{{cite web|title=Vietnamese Hoagies Now on the Menu |url=http://citypaper.net/articles/2006-07-20/food6.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151001214129/http://citypaper.net/articles/2006-07-20/food6.shtml |archive-date=1 October 2015 |df=dmy }}</ref> thumb|{{lang|vi|Bánh mì}} in California
Since the 1970s, Vietnamese refugees from the Vietnam War arrived in London and were hosted at community centers<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.hackneygazette.co.uk/news/an-viet-house-in-de-beauvoir-could-become-asian-community-3586976 | title=An Viet House in de Beauvoir could become Asian community's answer to Jamie Oliver's training restaurant Fifteen | date=27 February 2018 }}</ref> in areas of London such as De Beauvoir Town eventually founding a string of successful Vietnamese-style canteens in Shoreditch where {{lang|vi|bánh mì}} alongside {{lang|vi|phở}}, was popularised from the 1990s.
{{lang|vi|Bánh mì}} sandwiches were featured in the 2002 PBS documentary ''Sandwiches That You Will Like''. The word {{lang|vi|bánh mì}} was added to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' on 24 March 2011.<ref>[http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/banh+mi "Oxford English Dictionary] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120503010727/http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/banh+mi |date=3 May 2012 }} retrieved 2011.03.24</ref><ref>Andy Bloxham. [https://web.archive.org/web/20111128124424/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/8400964/Heart-symbol-enters-Oxford-English-Dictionary.html "Heart symbol enters Oxford English Dictionary"]. ''The Daily Telegraph'', 24 March 2011.</ref> As of 2017, {{lang|vi|bánh mì}} is included in about 2% of U.S. restaurant sandwich menus, a nearly fivefold increase from 2013.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=This Is America's Hottest Sandwich Right Now|first=Ian|last=Salisbury|magazine=Money|date=20 July 2017|access-date=15 April 2018|url=https://money.com/banh-mi-americas-fastest-growing-sandwich/|archive-date=1 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210701180421/https://money.com/banh-mi-americas-fastest-growing-sandwich/|url-status=live}}</ref> On 24 March 2020, Google celebrated {{lang|vi|bánh mì}} with a Google Doodle.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://doodles.google/doodle/celebrating-banh-mi/|title=Celebrating Banh Mi|website=Google|date=24 March 2020|access-date=24 March 2020|archive-date=24 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200324040957/http://www.google.com/doodles/celebrating-banh-mi|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Ingredients== ===Bread=== [[File:Dong Phuong Bread.JPG|thumb|right|Loaves of {{lang|vi|bánh mì}} at Dong Phuong Oriental Bakery in New Orleans]]
A Vietnamese baguette has a thin crust and white, airy crumb. It may consist of both wheat flour and rice flour.<ref name="Hương Giang" />
Besides being made into a sandwich, it is eaten alongside meat dishes, such as ''bò kho'' (a beef stew), curry, and ''{{lang|vi|phá lấu}}''. It can also be dipped in condensed milk (see Sữa Ông Thọ).
===Filling basics=== thumb|right|upright|Assembling a {{lang|vi|bánh mì}}
A {{lang|vi|bánh mì}} sandwich typically consists of a main filling of one or more meats, together with accompanying vegetables, and condiments.
Accompanying vegetables typically include fresh cucumber slices or wedges, leaves of the coriander plant and pickled carrot and daikon in shredded form ({{lang|vi|đồ chua}}). Common condiments include spicy chili sauce, sliced chilis, seasoning sauce, and mayonnaise.<ref name="wp"/><ref name="CR Lam">{{cite journal|title=The Marvel of Bánh Mì|first=Andrew|last=Lam|author-link=Andrew Lam|journal=The Cairo Review of Global Affairs|publisher=American University in Cairo|year=2015|issue=18|pages=64–71|access-date=8 May 2017|url=https://www.thecairoreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/CR18-Lam.pdf|archive-date=7 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170807233324/https://www.thecairoreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/CR18-Lam.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> These sandwiches can even be filled with seared tofu.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.loveandlemons.com/banh-mi/ | title = Banh Mi Sandwich| last = | first = | date = 22 February 2019 | website = loveandlemons.com | publisher = | access-date = 5 October 2024 }} </ref>
===Main filling varieties=== [[File:Bánh mì bò kho ở cà phê Nguyệt Ca.jpg|thumb|{{lang|vi|Bánh mì}} to eat with {{lang|vi|bò kho}}]] Many varieties of main filling are used. A typical {{lang|vi|bánh mì}} shop in the United States offers at least 10 varieties.<ref name="Ngọc Lan">{{cite news|title=Chuyện kinh doanh bánh mì tại Little Saigon (kỳ 2)|trans-title=Tales of sandwich shop tales in Little Saigon (part 2)|author=Ngọc Lan|work=Nguoi Viet Daily News|date=10 May 2013|access-date=10 April 2018|url=https://www.nguoi-viet.com/little-saigon/Chuyen-kinh-doanh-banh-mi-tai-Little-Saigon-ky-2-3842/|language=vi|archive-date=10 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180410203436/https://www.nguoi-viet.com/little-saigon/Chuyen-kinh-doanh-banh-mi-tai-Little-Saigon-ky-2-3842/|url-status=live}}</ref>
The most popular variety is {{lang|vi|bánh mì thịt}}, {{lang|vi|thịt}} meaning "meat". {{lang|vi|Bánh mì thịt nguội}} (also known as {{lang|vi|bánh mì pâté chả thịt}}, {{lang|vi|bánh mì đặc biệt}}, or "special combo") is made with various Vietnamese cold cuts, such as sliced pork or pork belly, ''chả lụa'' (Vietnamese sausage), and head cheese, along with the liver {{lang|fr|pâté}} and vegetables like carrot or cucumbers.<ref>Andrea Nguyen.{{cite web|url=https://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2009/06/banh-mi-sandwich-recipe.html|title="Master Banh Mi Sandwich Recipe" |date=17 June 2009 }} ''Viet World Kitchen'', retrieved 2025.06.30</ref><ref name="WSJ Eckhardt">{{cite news|title=Saigon's Banh Mi|first=Robyn|last=Eckhardt|work=The Wall Street Journal|date=30 July 2010|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703578104575397030042789698|access-date=3 August 2017|archive-date=9 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309180225/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703578104575397030042789698|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="bm">{{cite web|url=http://www.baomoi.com/Banh-mi-Sai-Gon-o-My/84/3408653.epi|title=Bánh mì Sài Gòn ở Mỹ|work=baomoi.com|access-date=2 December 2015|archive-date=19 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141219175823/http://www.baomoi.com/Banh-mi-Sai-Gon-o-My/84/3408653.epi|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>[http://vietnamnet.vn/vn/chinh-tri/tuanvietnam/93332/banh-mi--tau-ngam--sai-gon-nuc-tieng-the-gioi.html "Bánh mì Sài gòn nức tiếng thế giới"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130128020235/http://vietnamnet.vn/vn/chinh-tri/tuanvietnam/93332/banh-mi--tau-ngam--sai-gon-nuc-tieng-the-gioi.html |date=28 January 2013 }}, TuanVietNam, 2012/10/20</ref>
Other varieties include:
* {{lang|vi|Bánh mì bì}} (shredded pork sandwich){{snd}} shredded pork or pork skin, doused with fish sauce * {{lang|vi|Bánh mì chà bông}} (pork floss sandwich) * {{lang|vi|Bánh mì xíu mại}} (minced pork meatball sandwich){{snd}} smashed pork meatballs * {{lang|vi|bánh mì thịt nguội}} (ham sandwich) * {{lang|vi|Bánh mì cá mòi}} (sardine sandwich) * {{lang|vi|Bánh mì pa-tê}} ({{lang|fr|pâté}} sandwich) * {{lang|vi|Bánh mì xá xíu}} or {{lang|vi|bánh mì thịt nướng}} (barbecue pork sandwich) * {{lang|vi|Bánh mì chả lụa}} or {{lang|vi|bánh mì giò lụa}} (Vietnamese sausage sandwich) * {{lang|vi|Bánh mì gà nướng}} (grilled chicken sandwich) * {{lang|vi|Bánh mì chay}} (vegetarian sandwich){{snd}} made with tofu or {{lang|zh|seitan}} * {{lang|vi|Bánh mì chả cá}} (fish patty sandwich) * {{lang|vi|Bánh mì bơ}} (margarine or buttered sandwich){{snd}} margarine / butter and sugar * {{lang|vi|Bánh mì trứng ốp-la}} (fried egg sandwich){{snd}} contains fried eggs with onions, sprinkled with soy sauce, sometimes buttered; served for breakfast in Vietnam<ref>{{Cite web |last=Phương Nhi |date=25 October 2024 |title=Bữa sáng 10 phút đơn giản với trứng và bánh mì |url=https://laodong.vn/chuyen-nha-minh/bua-sang-10-phut-don-gian-voi-trung-va-banh-mi-1412329.ldo |access-date=17 November 2025 |website=Báo Lao Động |language=vi}}</ref> * {{lang|vi|Bánh mì kẹp kem}} (ice cream sandwich){{snd}} contains scoops of ice cream topped with crushed peanuts<ref>{{cite news|title=Sài Gòn: Mua 'vé về tuổi thơ' với bánh mì kẹp kem siêu rẻ|trans-title=Saigon: Purchase a "ticket to childhood" with super-cheap ice cream sandwiches|work=Trí Thức Trẻ|publisher=Hội Trí thức Khoa học và Công nghệ Trẻ Việt Nam|date=18 April 2013|access-date=25 March 2014|url=http://afamily.vn/xem-an-choi/sai-gon-mua-ve-ve-tuoi-tho-voi-banh-mi-kep-kem-sieu-re-20130415064319684.chn|language=vi|archive-date=30 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230081111/http://afamily.vn/xem-an-choi/sai-gon-mua-ve-ve-tuoi-tho-voi-banh-mi-kep-kem-sieu-re-20130415064319684.chn|url-status=live}}</ref>
<gallery widths=180> File:01 Baoguette Pork Banh Mi.jpg|{{lang|vi|Bánh mì chả lụa}} (pork sausage sandwich) File:Bánh mì.jpg|{{lang|vi|Bánh mì đặc biệt}} ("special combo" sandwich) File:Banh Mi, Eden Center.jpg|{{lang|vi|Bánh mì bì}} (shredded pork sandwich) at Eden Center File:Bánh mì xíu mại-meatball-sandwich.jpg|{{lang|vi|Bánh mì xíu mại}} (minced pork meatball sandwich) File:Bánh mì thịt nướng.png|{{lang|vi|Bánh mì thịt nướng}} (barbecue pork sandwich) File:Chicken Schnitzel Roll.jpg|with Chicken Schnitzel File:Bánh mì than tre Việt Nam 20201205.jpg|{{lang|vi|Bánh mì than tre}} (Bamboo charcoal {{lang|vi|bánh mì}}) </gallery>
thumb|{{lang|vi|Bánh mì chảo}} thumb|{{lang|vi|Bánh mỳ que}} Nowadays, different types of {{lang|vi|bánh mì}} are popular. For example, '''{{lang|vi|bánh mì que}}''' is thinner and longer and can be filled with various ingredients just as normal {{lang|vi|bánh mì}}.
<gallery widths=180> File: Khao ji patte breakfast.jpg|Khao jee pâté in Laos, with spice paste called Jeow bong </gallery>
==Notable vendors== thumb|right|Bánh mì sold in Lee's Sandwiches.
Prior to the Fall of Saigon in 1975, well-known South Vietnamese {{lang|vi|bánh mì}} vendors included {{lang|vi|Bánh mì Ba Lẹ|italic=no}} and {{lang|vi|Bánh mì Như Lan|italic=no}} (which opened in 1968<ref name="Hương Giang">{{cite news|title=Bánh mì Việt Nam và hành trình chinh phục cả thế giới|author=Hương Giang|work=Người Lao động|issue=212|date=10 September 2016|access-date=3 April 2018|url=http://tamlongvang.laodong.com.vn/the-gioi/banh-mi-viet-nam-va-hanh-trinh-chinh-phuc-ca-the-gioi-591142.bld|language=vi|archive-date=8 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308085505/http://tamlongvang.laodong.com.vn/the-gioi/banh-mi-viet-nam-va-hanh-trinh-chinh-phuc-ca-the-gioi-591142.bld|url-status=live}}</ref>).
In the 21st century, McDonald's and Paris Baguette locations in Vietnam offer {{lang|vi|bánh mì}}.<ref>{{cite news|title=McDonald's Opens in Vietnam, Bringing Big Mac to Fans of Banh Mi|first=Mike|last=Ives|work=The New York Times|date=7 February 2014|access-date=15 April 2018|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/08/business/international/mcdonalds-chooses-its-moment-in-vietnam.html|archive-date=12 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112022747/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/08/business/international/mcdonalds-chooses-its-moment-in-vietnam.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=How Vietnam's Dining Habits Are Changing With International Brands|first=Brett|last=Davis|work=Forbes|date=26 October 2016|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/davisbrett/2016/10/27/how-vietnams-dining-habits-are-changing-with-international-brands/|access-date=15 April 2018|archive-date=8 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308075529/https://www.forbes.com/sites/davisbrett/2016/10/27/how-vietnams-dining-habits-are-changing-with-international-brands/|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Around the world== ===Australia=== In the decade after the Vietnam war, around 94,000 Vietnamese refugees migrated to Australia. Some refugees opened bakeries that specialised in {{lang|vi|bánh mì}}, particularly around Western Melbourne and South-Western Sydney.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/05/world/australia/australia-banh-mi-pork-roll.html|title=In Australia, a Nation's Banh Mi Love Affair|last=Frost|first=Natasha|date=2024-04-05|work=web.archive.org|publisher=The New York Times|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240410141009/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/05/world/australia/australia-banh-mi-pork-roll.html |access-date=26 April 2026 |archive-date=10 April 2024 }}</ref> Today, {{lang|vi|Bánh mì}} is highly popular as an affordable snack across Australia, especially amongst tradespeople.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-11/why-australians-are-obsessed-with-banh-mi-vietnamese-roll/105265366|title=Why are Australians obsessed with bánh mì, the Vietnamese roll with the complex history?|last=Michie|first=Isabella|date=2025-05-10|work=abc.net.au|access-date=26 April 2026}}</ref> In 2022, there were over 300 shops that sell {{lang|vi|Bánh mì}} in Melbourne alone.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://maps.philipmallis.com/banh-mi-map-of-melbourne/|title=Banh mi map of Melbourne|last=Mallis|first=Philip|date=2022-02-16|website=Maps by Philip Mallis |access-date=26 April 2026}}</ref> This includes fast food chain Roll'd and various Vietnamese-run bakeries.
An Australian-based "Vietnamese Banh Mi Appreciation Society" was created on Facebook in 2017. {{As of|January 2026}}, it had 155,000 members. Australian-made {{lang|vi|bánh mì}} and their makers also feature on TikTok. As of the same month, a recent TikTok review of Top Ryde Baker's House, a family-run {{lang|vi|bánh mì}}-making business in Ryde, a suburb of Sydney, had had 1.5 million views. Additionally, a {{lang|vi|bánh mì}} made by another Sydney-based business, Marrickville Pork Roll, which has numerous outlets around the city, has featured in an Instagram post by Australia's Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese.<ref name="abc 2026-01-03">{{cite news |last1=Ross |first1=Isabella |title=From a Facebook appreciation group to viral TikTok reviews: Australia's love for bánh mì |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-03/sydneys-banh-mi-obsession-bakeries-go-viral-on-social-media/105884842 |access-date=11 January 2026 |work=ABC News |date=3 January 2026 |language=en-AU}}</ref>
In November 2025, a limited time special "Zinger {{lang|vi|Bánh Mì|italics=no}}" roll was added to the nationwide menu of KFC Australia.<ref name="qsr 2025-11-04">{{cite web |author1=Staff Reporter |title=KFC Australia rolls out its new Zinger Bánh Mì nationwide |url=https://qsrmedia.com.au/menu-innovations/news/kfc-australia-rolls-out-its-new-zinger-banh-mi-nationwide |website=QSR Media Australia |access-date=7 December 2025 |language=en |date=4 November 2025}}</ref> It was made up of "... [a] spicy Zinger chicken fillet with slaw, fresh chillies, coriander, a new Bánh Mì-style mayonnaise, and Supercharged sauce, all served in a traditional Bánh Mì roll."<ref name="qsr 2025-11-04"/> Although a trial of the item had been successful earlier in the year in Newcastle, New South Wales, the nationwide launch proved to be controversial.<ref name="n.com.au 2025-11-08">{{cite news |last1=Poposki |first1=Claudia |title=KFC Australia launches controversial item nationwide |url=https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/eat/kfc-australia-launches-controversial-item-nationwide/news-story/a9ae2590a886cf47d90c8244706ad682 |access-date=7 December 2025 |work=news.com.au |date=8 November 2025}}</ref><ref name="vne i 2025-11-10">{{cite news |last1=Nguyen |first1=Dat |title=KFC's Zinger Banh Mi divides food reviewers: creative fusion or cultural misstep? |url=https://e.vnexpress.net/news/business/companies/kfc-s-zinger-banh-mi-divides-food-reviewers-creative-fusion-or-cultural-misstep-4962299.html |access-date=5 February 2026 |work=VnExpress International |date=10 November 2025 |language=en}}</ref> So, for example, whereas a ''This is Canberra'' reviewer described the product as "glorious",<ref name="tic 2025-11-22">{{cite web |last1=Winchester |first1=Briony |title=Zinger meets Saigon: I tried KFC's Zinger Banh Mi and here's the verdict |url=https://thisiscanberra.com/zinger-meets-saigon-i-tried-kfcs-zinger-banh-mi-and-heres-the-verdict/318202/ |website=This is Canberra |access-date=7 December 2025 |language=en |date=22 November 2025}}</ref> a reviewer in ''The Guardian'' dubbed it "... {{lang|vi|bánh mì|italics=no}} by name but not nature ... the Dannii Minogue of chicken sandwiches."<ref name="tg 2025-11-29">{{cite news |last1=Lam |first1=Yvonne C. |title=KFC's bánh mì has its name but not its nature. Who is this sandwich for? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/food/2025/nov/29/kfc-banh-mi-fried-chicken-sandwich-review-crunch-taste |access-date=7 December 2025 |work=The Guardian |date=28 November 2025}}</ref>
===Hong Kong=== Banh Mi Nem, Hong Kong's only Vietnamese eatery in the Michelin selected list, specialises in {{lang|vi|bánh mì}}. Opened in 2024 by a Vietnamese who had lived in Hong Kong for almost 20 years, it was the first {{lang|vi|bánh mì}} shop in Wan Chai. Unlike most local {{lang|vi|bánh mì}} outlets, which use French-style baguettes, its bread is Vietnamese-style. After receiving Michelin recognition within a year of its launching, the business opened a second outlet, in Central.<ref name="vne i 2025-12-27">{{cite news |last1=Phuong |first1=Bich |title=The banh mi shop winning over both Hong Kong and Michelin |url=https://e.vnexpress.net/news/travel/food-recipes/the-banh-mi-shop-winning-over-both-hong-kong-and-michelin-4986378.html |access-date=7 February 2026 |work=VnExpress International |date=27 December 2025 |language=en}}</ref>
===United States=== In regions of the United States with significant populations of Vietnamese Americans, numerous bakeries and fast food restaurants specialize in {{lang|vi|bánh mì}}. Lee's Sandwiches, a fast food chain with locations in several states, specializes in Vietnamese sandwiches served on French baguettes (or traditional {{lang|vi|bánh mì}} at some locations) as well as Western-style sandwiches served on croissants.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}} Phở Hòa, a Vietnamese-American restaurant chain primarily specializing in pho, also offers {{lang|vi|bánh mì}} as part of its menu.<ref>{{Cite news |last=De Guzman |first=Nicai |date=2017-03-24 |title=Top 10 Banh Mi in Manila |url=https://www.spot.ph/eatdrink/the-latest-eat-drink/69641/top-10-banh-mi-manila-a125-20170324-lfrm |access-date=2025-01-20 |work=Spot.ph}}</ref>
In New Orleans, Dong Phuong Oriental Bakery is known for the {{lang|vi|bánh mì}} bread that it distributes to restaurants throughout the city. After 1975, {{lang|vi|Ba Lẹ|italic=no}} owner Võ Văn Lẹ fled to the United States and, along with {{lang|vi|Lâm Quốc Thanh|italic=no}}, founded {{lang|vi|Bánh mì Ba Lê|italic=no}}.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.balesandwich.com/our-story|title=our story|website=Ba Le Sandwiches|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-09|archive-date=24 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190424103206/http://www.balesandwich.com/our-story|url-status=live}}</ref> The Eden Center shopping center in Northern Virginia has several well-known bakeries specializing in {{lang|vi|bánh mì}}.<ref name="wp" /> In New York City, Banh Anh Em, a Vietnamese food shop with hand made {{lang|vi|bánh mì}} prominent amongst its offerings, opened for business in April 2025; by early 2026, it was already included in the Michelin Guide 2025 Bib Gourmand list, and had lines of customers waiting more than an hour to be served.<ref name="vne i 2026-01-30">{{cite news |last1=Phuong |first1=Bich |title=The $15 New York banh mi that requires 2-hour wait |url=https://e.vnexpress.net/news/travel/food-recipes/the-15-new-york-banh-mi-that-requires-2-hour-wait-5003316.html |access-date=5 February 2026 |work=VnExpress International |date=30 January 2026}}</ref>
Mainstream fast food chains have also incorporated {{lang|vi|bánh mì}} and other Vietnamese dishes into their portfolios. Yum! Brands operates a chain of {{lang|vi|bánh mì}} cafés called Bánh Shop.<ref name="CR Lam" /> The former Chipotle-owned ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen chain briefly sold {{lang|vi|bánh mì}}. Jack in the Box offered a "{{lang|vi|bánh mì}}–inspired" fried chicken sandwich as part of its Food Truck Series.<ref>{{cite news|title=Jack vs. Martha: A Jack in the Box fast food showdown begins|first=Lori|last=Wiesberg|work=The San Diego Union-Tribune|date=29 January 2018|access-date=15 April 2018|url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/tourism/sd-fi-jack-martha-20180129-story.html|archive-date=24 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224143334/https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/tourism/sd-fi-jack-martha-20180129-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
==See also== * Khao jee pâté * Num pang * French roll * List of sandwiches * Vietnamese cuisine {{-}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{wiktionary}} {{Commons category-inline}}
{{Street food}} {{Sandwiches}} {{Vietnamese cuisine}} {{Bánh}} {{Portal bar|Vietnam|Food}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Banh mi}} Category:1950s in South Vietnam Category:Food and drink introduced in the 1950s Category:French fusion cuisine Category:Rice breads Category:Sandwiches Category:Southeast Asian breads Category:Street food in Vietnam Category:Vietnamese fusion cuisine Category:Bánh Category:Vietnamese-American cuisine