Being present on every street, bread is a part of the cultural identity of Da Nang, and Viet Nam as a whole. Preserved in each person's memories, 'banh mi' features the values of Vietnamese souls. No matter if it is breakfast, lunch or dinner, Vietnamese ‘banh mi’ can satisfy one’s taste and smell in a tidy little package. Offering various options for savoury fillings, the Vietnamese sandwich has won much favour and the hearts of gourmets internationally.

Vietnamese bread is not only attractive because of its unique flavour but also thanks to the diverse creativity in each region. Photo: Y.D

‘Recently, culinary website TasteAtlas put Vietnamese ‘banh mi’ in first place in the list of ‘Top 100 sandwiches in the world’. Perhaps, nowhere in Viet Nam is ‘banh mi’ created in as many varieties as Da Nang, and every “variation” is so delicious. Bread not only accompanies childhood going to school twice a day but also holds many beautiful memories in our hometown.

According to TasteAtlas, ‘banh mi’ is a popular Vietnamese variety of sandwiches that share the same core ingredient - a baguette. The baguette was brought over to Vietnam during the colonial period, and nowadays it is one of the few happy legacies from the time. The crusty bread, condiments, and meats are all a legacy of French and Chinese colonialism, while cilantro, chili, and pickles reflect the Vietnamese taste for fresh vegetables and bright flavors. In the beginning, most banh mi sandwiches consisted of bread, meat, and seasonings, with no added vegetables.

Vivid in every memory

Staying at my house during their recent Da Nang trip, every meal was the same as my friend’s son asked for ‘banh mi que’ (breadsticks) twice a day. One day, his mom pretended grumbling: “Da Nang has so many specialties. Why are you addicted to this simple dish’, and at that time, the boy excitedly shouted: “Oh my god, it's absolutely delicious, mom”. The mother laughed at the children's joy because she is also a big fan of breadsticks, and ‘banh mi’ in general. Every leisurely day, his mother took him to ‘banh mi que’ shops to satisfy his taste. Every time he ate, he screamed with joy like the first time he bit into a loaf of crispy, buttery-filled bread loaf.

Looking at that bright, innocent smile, I suddenly remembered that I also had such a bustling childhood memories attached with this dish. During the time when breadsticks first appeared in Da Nang, the corner of Phan Chau Trinh and Hung Vuong streets became my familiar venue every day. I bought two loaves for extra classes or brought home nearly twenty loaves for the whole family.

This site was densely packed with bread stalls but each of them was crowded with customers and each time I had to wait a long time for my turn. On the evening, my family members gathered together, loaves of bread became a factor prompting the beginning of talks. In the midst of chatting, no less than a dozen times we said: “With just some pate and fried onions, why are bread loaves so delicious?.

March 24, 2011 marked an important milestone in Vietnamese bread's journey to conquer world cuisine when the word ‘Banh mi’ officially was admitted into  the Oxford dictionary, which defines it as a sandwich in Vietnamese cuisine.

But that simple flavour lingers forever in the lingering nostalgia during my adventurous trips. When I first came to the southern metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City I craved my beloved hometown dish ‘banh mi’ so much but couldn't find it in the bustling bustle of the country. After more than fifteen years of being away from home, I had the opportunity to soothe my feelings of homesickness when a famous coffee chain put this popular dish into business.

Holding the bread in my hand, I burst into tears because more than a dish, bread holds many memories of life journey. Breadsticks in Ho Chi Minh City not only have the typical greasy pate filling as they are sold in my homeland, but they are also modified with shredded chicken and grilled meat.

For more than 20  years, breadsticks have become a speciality available everywhere and emerge as the best-seller. For example, the cart owned by Mr. Nguyen Phi Hoang (born in 1979, residing in Lien Chieu District, Da Nang, sells an average of 200 loaves during 2:00 p.m. -  8:00 p.m. from Monday to Thursday, and 500 - 600 loaves on weekends.

His family for many generations made a living by the trade in ‘banh mi’. When he was young, he carried a tray of all kinds of cakes such as donuts and sponge cakes for sales everywhere. He gradually realised consumers’ preference for breadsticks so he decided to start a business.

For 20 years, his compact cart on Vo Nghia Street, Phuoc My Ward, Son Tra District, Da Nang has become more and more popular with customers and recorded high sales. But for that man, joy does not come from the output but from the delighted smile of the buyer when enjoying this speciality.

Many types of bread in Da Nang

Talking about bread reminds me of this funny story. One day in Ho Chi Minh City, I suddenly longed for the so-called ‘banh mi ga’ (chicken bread), so I asked my sister to buy it for me. A teenager living in the same rental house asked for, too. When he held the loaf of bread in his hand, he wondered repeatedly: "Huh, I thought ‘banh mi ga’ had to have chicken inside. Why does it have mere floss?”.

His questions full of surprise made us unable to stop laughing. Given the opportunity, we enthusiastically introduced this special dish: “Da Nang ‘banh mi ga’ has a chubby and round shape, similar to a hamburger. The fillings include butter sauce, papaya, herbs and chili sauce. But the butter sauce must be made from chicken eggs and Da Nang's signature chili sauce...”.

As I talked, I imagined the fatty taste of butter sauce, the fresh taste of papaya, and the sweet and spicy taste of chili sauce, all of which make me really crave it.

Then I told the teenager: "One day, if you go to Da Nang, we will take you on a ‘bread tour during which you may be excited to hang out for enjoying many types of ‘banh mi’ such as breadsticks and bread loaves containing grilled meat bread, roast pork, braised fish, omelet and tapioca dumplings with prawns and pork.

Perhaps, nowhere in Viet Nam is ‘banh mi’ created in as many varieties as it is in Da Nang, and every variation is so delicious. Bread not only accompanies childhood going to school twice a day but also holds many beautiful memories in our hometown. Bread is jokingly dubbed as "hunger relief" dish by my friend who is a doctor during her breaks between tense work shifts. Talking about bread is also the way I promote the close image of my hometown to friends everywhere. More than just a dish, Da Nang bread, and Vietnamese bread in general, are not just brands of culinary culture but also contains the deep soul of Vietnamese people.

A tourist from The Netherlands enjoys ‘banh mi’ at a shop on Bach Dang Street, Da Nang Photo: Y.D

‘Heritage’ of Viet Nam

Recently, culinary website TasteAtlas put Vietnamese ‘banh mi’ in first place in the list of ‘Top 100 sandwiches in the world’. TasteAtlas describes ‘banh mi’ – ‘bun mee’ - as Viet Nam's ‘heritage’.

Besides ‘banh mi’ in general, which tops the list, ‘banh mi thit’ and ‘banh mi heo quay’ are ranked separately, at 9th and 29th , respectively. ‘Banh mi’ also received many compliments from reputable newspapers around the world. In 2012, The Guardian newspaper in the UK ranked Vietnamese bread at second place in the list of "The 10 most delicious and attractive street foods in the world’. In 2013, ‘banh mi’ topped the list of 12 street foods by Condé Nast Traveler magazine in the US. In 2018, CNN TV channel in the US awarded the title ‘King of sandwiches in the world’ to this Vietnamese dish.

‘Banh mi’ was ranked second by the Guardian in their “World's Best Street Foods” index. In an article published in 2012, The Guardian said: “A little-known secret is that the world’s best sandwich isn’t found in Rome, Copenhagen or even New York City, but on the streets of Vietnam.”

But to get these honors, Vietnamese bread has gone through a long journey of ups and downs along with the country's history: from big and long to small and short in the size to reduce costs; from luxurious dining tables to all street corners; from expensive to highly-affordable; from dense to spongy, soft, thin crust because the bread supply was scarce due to the outbreak of World War I; from mainly sliced to sandwiched for convenience. Vietnamese bread that goes through each region "wears" the typical culinary ‘coats’  of that land, so it is even more diverse and rich.

Just like that, originating from baguette - one of the culinary symbols of France – and introduced to Viet Nam in the 19th century, Vietnamese people have created their own ‘bread empire’ both at home and abroad. Such a small, popular cake is so popular that diners have to line up to enjoy it at stores around the world such as: Saigon ‘banh mi’ (New York, the US), Bun Mee ‘banh mi’ (San Francisco, the US). Phuong bread (South Korea), Keu ‘banh mi’ (London, the UK), Kitchen ‘banh mi’ (Hong Kong) and Xin chao ‘banh mi’ (Japan).

With creativity from rustic, familiar native ingredients, Vietnamese bread conquers food lovers from all over the world with the proper noun ‘banh mi’, not Vietnamese baguette, Vietnamese sandwich nor some other similar dishes that the world is familiar with.

I would like to borrow Google's introduction when honouring bread on the homepage interface of this search engine in more than 10 countries in March 2020 to end this article with pride about a popular yet highly attractive dish.

“Vietnamese loaf of bread was born from a cultural interference between France and Viet Nam. A long baguette with cold meat and butter or cheese has been changed. It is added, transformed into a smaller loaf, and added with ingredients full of Vietnamese soul. That is herbs, onions, cilantro, pate, pork or chicken, a little sauce from the meat, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and even chili flakes, featuring all flavours”, said Google.

Reporting by YEN DAN - Translating by A.THU, P.TRA