If you are planning a trip to Vietnam, you probably have seen many articles complimenting one of the most ubiquitous Vietnamese food – Banh Mi. However, some of you may think Banh Mi has nothing special as it’s just the French baguette filled with some meat and vegetables. Therefore, to convince you to try at least one Banh Mi when visiting Vietnam, Incredible Asia Journey will present a guide to the Best Banh Mi in Vietnam for you which indicates the origin of Banh Mi, its ingredients, the differences between Banh Mi in different regions of Vietnam as long as places to have the best Banh Mi.
Banh Mi - originally called baguette - was first introduced to the Vietnamese in the 1860s by the French colonists. It was once a luxury staple food for the locals because of the expensive imported ingredients (wheat) during that time. Later, the local bakers started to incorporate the cheap local rice flour into the recipe, this method lowered down the price of Banh Mi and made Banh Mi popular for the ordinary people in Vietnam. Little by little, Banh Mi becomes one of the most common food in Vietnam that can be consumed at any time of the day and is sold every corner of the country. Nowadays, to get a Banh Mi, you will need to pay only 15,000-40,000vnd, thus, this is one of the top choices for any local people as well as tourists when visiting Vietnam.
Bread
When being introduced in Vietnam, the French baguette was modified into a Vietnamese Banh Mi version with the airy crumb and thinner crust thanks to its dough which is a mix between wheat flour and rice flour.
Fillings
Fillings of Banh Mi in Vietnam are diverse in different regions of the country. Some ingredients that are commonly used are meat (either pork, chicken, or beef), Vietnamese sausage, Vietnamese coriander, cucumber, carrot, chilly, and some condiments such as chilly, mayonnaise, soy sauce, etc.
With the local’s creativity, each region invents different variations of Banh Mi which is suitable for them. Therefore, no matter how long you have stayed in Vietnam, you will always find a new type of Banh Mi.
Banh Mi in Ho Chi Minh City is very famous for the traditional meat Banh Mi which is stuffed with pate, butter, jambon, Vietnamese pork sausage, vegetables, and cilantro. This Banh Mi is attractive to the locals thanks to its localized ingredients which are their appetite. The fat meat is balanced by the pickled vegetable makes people wanting to eat more and more.
Besides the traditional Banh Mi, people in Ho Chi Minh City also invent some variations, especially Banh Mi filled with pork-skin. It is the perfect combination of fish sauce, boiled pork-skin mixed with roasted rice flour, garlic, etc. In addition, this dish is also different depending on the sausage paired with, thus, each baker created their own recipe to attract customers.
With a diverse culture, bakers in Ho Chi Minh City created a myriad of Banh Mi variations that meet the demand of different customers.
Best places to have Banh Mi in Ho Chi Minh City:
• Banh Mi Huynh Hoa
Address: 26 Lê Thị Riêng, Bến Thành, 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Price: 30,000 VND
• Banh Mi Hong Hoa
Address: 62 Nguyen Van Trang
Price: 17,000 VND
See more our travel guide in Ho Chi Minh City:
Top 6 things to do in Ho Chi Minh City
Da Lat is well-known for the Banh Mi Xiu Mai. This Banh Mi is served with a bowl of pork bone broth which is added some meatballs (xiu mai), Vietnamese sausage, pork skin, etc. Then, you tear a piece of Banh Mi and dip it into the rich broth. The combination of richness and spice of pepper makes this Banh Mi become a great option for a cold winter day.
Best places to have Banh Mi in Da Lat:
• Hồng Bánh Mì
Address: 10 Yersin, Da Lat
Price: 10.000 - 15.000VND
• Miss Suong Banh mi xiu mai
Address: 14 Anh Sang, Ward 1, Da Lat
Price: 10.000 - 15.000VND
Read more articles about Da Lat travel guide:
Top Natural Things to See in Da Lat
Banh Mi in Nha Trang is also far different from that of other places. In Nha Trang, you will notice that people don’t use any butter to bake the baguette, the skin is also crustier, and the filling of Nha Trang’s Banh Mi is airier than that of Ho Chi Minh City Because it has no butter, thus, when eating it, we will get less-heavy-felling stomach stem from its richness.
Among different options of Banh Mi in this coastal city, Banh Mi with fried fish patty is the most delicious and famous which is so much tastier thanks to the garlic chili sauce.
Best place to have Banh Mi in Nha Trang:
Banh Mi Nguyen Huong
Address: Tan Lap, Nha Trang City, Khanh Hoa
Price: 12.000 – 20.000VND
In this ancient port town, the most reputable place for both the locals and foreign tourists to try Banh Mi is Banh Mi Phuong. Its special secret comes from the crust which is crustier and harder than Banh Mi in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. In addition, this shop also invented 3 distinctive sauces to eat with Banh Mi, not to mention the perfect combination of Vietnamese herbs. Putting all together, there comes the most delicious staple food that you ever try.
Banh Mi Phuong
Address: 2b Phan Chu Trinh, Cam Chau, Hoi An, Quang Nam
Price: 15,000 – 30,000 VND
Read more articles about Hoi An travel guide:
8 Things to Eat in Hoi An – Culinary Perfection in Vietnam’s Cultural Capital
The weather in Hanoi is separated into 4 distinct seasons which have their own features. Thus, Hanoi people also created different types of Banh Mi for different periods of the year. Among them, one of the most interesting dishes is Banh Mi Ap Chao which is a variation of European beef stake. This dish consists of baguette served with pate, omelet, beef steak, etc. put in a small hot pan.
Best places to have Banh Mi in Hanoi
• Banh Mi 25
Address: 25 Hang Ca, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Price: 35,000-40,000VND
• Duc Long Bread
Address: Luong Ngoc Quyen, Hang Buom, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Price: 40.000 VND - 50.000 VND
Read more articles about Hanoi travel guide:
Best hotels near Hoan Kiem Lake Hanoi
When Is The Best Time To Visit Hanoi?
Day trips from Hanoi that you might be interested:
Lan Ha Bay Day Trip from Hanoi
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