Ho Chi Minh City to host first Vietnamese “banh mi” festival

The first event of this kind, which will feature 120 pavilions of domestic and foreign restaurants, hotels, bread shops, suppliers and businesses, aims to recognise the values of bread for Vietnamese cuisine and honour the skill and creativity of bakers. It is expected to attract 50,000 visitors.

A ceremony to honour top long-standing and famous bread brands in Vietnam; and a workshop on the development of banh mi in Vietnam will be organised in the framework of the event.

According to Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Association, along with pho (noodle soup), bun cha (rice vermicelli with grilled pork and fresh herb), com tam (broken rice), banh xeo (sizzling pancake), hu tiu (rice noodle soup), and Bun Bo Hue (Hue beef noodle), banh mi also wins favour with local people and tourists.

The organising committee provides information about the "banh mi" festival on March 9. (Source: hcmcpv.org.vn)

"Banh mi" is ranked 7th among the best street foods in the world by TasteAtlas, a website dedicated to discovering fresh ingredients, traditional dishes, and authentic restaurants around the world. It was also named among the 50 best street foods in Asia by CNN.

“Banh mi” (pronounced 'bun mee') is a popular Vietnamese variety of sandwich that shares 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 remaining legacies from the time. In the beginning, most banh mi sandwiches consisted of bread, meat, and seasonings, with no added vegetables.