In an article published in mid-March, Taste Atlas said that ‘banh mi’, pronounced 'bun mee', is a popular variety of Vietnamese 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.
According to the website, 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 flavours.
Taste Atlas revealed that in the beginning, most ‘banh mi’ sandwiches consisted of bread, meat, and seasonings, with no added vegetables.
It also introduced different 'banh mi' varieties, such as 'banh mi xiu mai' (filled with meatballs), 'banh mi cha ca' (filled with fishcake), 'banh mi heo quay' (filled with roasted pork), 'banh mi ga nuong' (filled with grilled chicken), 'banh mi op la' (filled with sunny-side egg), and others.
Other sandwiches ranked in the top ten of the list included the Tombik döner from Turkey; Shawarma from Lebanon, Egypt, Israel, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia; torta from Mexico; lobster roll from the US; sandwich de lomo from Argentina; Montreal smoked meat from Canada; Mozzarella in carrozza from Italy; 'banh mi thit' from Vietnam; and Texas brisket sandwich from the US.
