Banh mi

Banh mi

Banh mi is a Vietnamese sandwich. The word bánh mì literally means "bread" in Vietnamese, but it can also mean "sandwich", since sandwiches are made of bread. It often has ingredients such as herbs, meats, vegetables and sauces that are often found in Vietnam. It is a food that was created because of French influence in Vietnam. When Vietnam was part of the colony French Indochina, French colonists taught the Vietnamese how to make bread. Unlike French bread, banh mi has rice flour in it.

History

In Vietnamese, bánh is a word that refers to baked goods and mì means "wheat".

Back then, wheat flour had to be imported from Europe so it was very expensive. Some people mixed it with rice flour, which was cheaper because it was made in the country. The rice flour also made the bread fluffier. This was how Vietnamese banh mi was made.

After the Vietnam War, many Vietnamese refugees moved to other countries and opened up banh mi shops.

Sandwich

A Vietnamese banh mi sandwich is made of bread and fillings.

Meat

A banh mi might have pork in it.

Vegetables

Picked carrot and radish, jalapeno, cucumber, and cilantro are some vegetables put into banh mi.

Sauces

Some sauces put into banh mi are chili sauce and liver pâté.