How did banh mi go from $100 to $1 and back again?
When the French colonists came to Vietnam, they made sure that all of their necessary foods were
also readily available to them, which meant importing them directly from France. One of
those staple dishes was a simple sandwich known as Jambon-beurre, which translates to ham and
butter. Thus, a basic ham and butter sandwich was an early source of inspiration for the banh
mi. But another important meal in the evolution of the banh mi was the French charcuterie board.
At its most basic level, a charcuterie board contains bread, butter or spread, meat, and
cheese. In the 1800s, the French colonists were also living it up with the addition of liver pate,
possibly foie gras, pickles, fresh vegetables, and decadent spreads like jam, mustard, and
mayonnaise. But it was only served to the French colonists, and it was only available at high-end
restaurants. It wasn't something that regular Vietnamese citizens could afford. In a sense,
charcuterie can be likened to a build-your-own sandwich station,
which is why it's easy to see how the banh mi could take inspiration from it.
The traditional Vietnamese banh mi is pretty basic when you get down
to its core components. It has to have the ever-present baguette as its holding element,
and it has to contain 50 percent wheat flour and 50 percent rice. Once you've got the bread down,
you'll need mayonnaise or butter; some type of filling like pork, chicken, or tofu;
fresh vegetables, typically cucumbers, as well as pickled daikon and carrots. Lastly, you'll
need a few condiments to add a bit more flavor, like soy sauce, fish sauce, or Maggi seasoning.
It's a simple, no-frills sandwich that utilizes all five of the different tastes:
sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami. It also combines different textures,
which is probably a good thing, because as tasty as a slice of American cheese on
untoasted white bread is, you have to admit that it's a bit boring.
"I’m bored." "Wait!"
There might be innumerable variations of banh mi, but the one constant is
the bread. It's so important that "banh mi" literally translates to "wheat bread." And
what's particularly special about this bread is that it's not your typical French baguette.
In the mid-1800s, the French decided that it was their duty to help Vietnam grow from an
uncivilized and impoverished country to one more in line with European cultural
ideals. Because Vietnam didn't have any of the required French ingredients for proper meals,
colonists had theirs shipped over from the motherland. And so, the French introduced
into Vietnamese cuisine items like flan, pate, foie gras, coffee, and the baguette.
As you can imagine, the two World Wars put a bit of a damper on the importation and
exportation of consumables and goods, which meant having to make do with what you had
and learning how to improvise. So the French baguette underwent a bit of a transformation,
as it began using a 50/50 blend of wheat and rice flour, as opposed to only wheat.
The tasty result of this new recipe was a lighter, flakier, less dense,
and somewhat hollow Vietnamese-style baguette that was perfect for the reinvention of the banh mi.
"Un loaf de bread, s'il vous plaît. Merci!"
When it's time to order the perfect banh mi, you'll be presented with a whole host
of flavorful fillings and toppings. But when you get right down to it,
there are just two main categories: Northern style and Saigon style.
Northern style banh mi contains just a few ingredients, like butter, pate,
salt and pepper, and maybe a random cucumber or a little cilantro. It's
basically just bread and spread with light seasoning. The Northern style is probably
most akin to what the French colonists were scarfing down back in the day.
Saigon style is the more well-known of the two banh mi styles and is most likely the version
that you're familiar with. It generally contains one or two protein fillings,
fragrant herbs, fresh and pickled vegetables, one or more spreads like mayonnaise and pate,
a spice element like sliced jalapeños or other fiery chilis, and more.
The banh mi is typically enjoyed for breakfast or as a midday snack. That might sound a bit
odd to American eaters, considering that the standard sandwich can usually incorporate pate
and pickles. But it's not uncommon to find these ingredients incorporated in breakfast
around the world. For example, in Japan, the typical morning meal can include fish,
miso soup, rice, and pickled vegetables, while Australians enjoy a healthy bowl
of farro topped with a poached egg and pickled veggies. And in Germanic and Baltic countries,
cold cuts and pate are a normal part of the breakfast circuit.
But there is an actual banh mi specifically designated for breakfast,
and it's sort of the equivalent to a fried egg on toast. This breakfast banh mi is a buttered
baguette with scrambled or sunny-side-up eggs, onions, and a smidge of soy sauce.
Sounds tasty, so let's wake up and get cooking!
"Waaaaaaaaaaake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!"
Just like any other sandwich, there's a specific protocol that you must follow
in order to properly assemble a banh mi. Of course, it depends on how much you're
going to be stuffing into that fluffy little baguette, but nevertheless,
each ingredient has its own designated spot in the lineup. This formula ultimately results in
a fully functional sandwich, meaning it won't squish out the top, bottom, or sides. And
that's a good thing, because who wants to ruin yet another shirt while eating lunch?
"If you had another to change into, you could nail the interview."
It's essential that the bread is fresh and warm. Once you slice it down the middle,
spread mayonnaise all the way to the edges of the bread, then sprinkle it with the
Swiss condiment Maggi Seasoning. After that, add your protein of choice, pate if desired,
and then top it off with crunchy pickled daikon and carrot, sliced cucumber, fresh herbs like
cilantro, mint, or basil, and some jalapeño. Then wrap it up or eat it right then and there!
When it comes to ordering a banh mi, you can choose from a whole multitude of different
protein fillings: pork, beef, chicken, fish, tofu, fried egg, or even ice cream. Okay,
that last one isn't exactly a protein option, but it just proves the point that whatever you
want on your banh mi, you can probably get it. You might think that something like barbecued or
grilled pork or even pork belly would be the clear winner overall, but you'd have to guess again.
"Guess again."
The most popular banh mi also has the closest ties to the original French colonial sandwich.
It's called the Special Combo, or sometimes the House Special. Whatever name it goes by,
all you need to know is that it's special. It's a bit of a riff on a French charcuterie board,
which typically has bread, butter, pate, and cold cuts. It's basically a deconstructed sandwich.
Meanwhile, the Special Combo is pretty much a cold-cut sandwich, filled with a combination of
any of the following: cold cuts, ham, head cheese, rolled pork, salt-cured pork, or Vietnamese pork
sausage. And then of course, there's also the pate, as well as the ever-present crunchy pickles,
fresh cucumber and cilantro, your seasoning of choice, and a spice element if you want it.
While sandwich toppings aren't usually listed as main ingredients,
sometimes it's the little additions that really bring it all together,
and it's no different with the banh mi. If you're going to enjoy a traditional Vietnamese banh mi,
Maggi seasoning needs to be part of it. This liquid all-in-one flavor enhancer was invented
in Switzerland in the 1800s by Swiss soup entrepreneur Julius Maggi. It sort of looks
like soy sauce and lends an umami-esque taste to whatever dish it's added to.
It comes in powdered, cubed, and liquid concentrate form,
and it's described by chefs as tasting like celery, parsley, and fennel. It's a staple
item in Swiss and French kitchens, and it made its way to Vietnam by way of the French.
Besides Maggi seasoning, mayonnaise or butter are the main spreads, which are necessary condiments
as they keep the bread moist. Pate is also a traditional spreadable protein that harkens back
to the days when the French claimed this dish. Furthermore, the addition of fresh cucumber,
scallion, and herbs give a bit of fresh crispness to this sometimes salty sandwich. Pickled daikon
and carrot add a nice sour element, while Laughing Cow Cheese can also play a part.
There truly is a banh mi for every meal of the day. If you're a dessert person,
then you're definitely going to want to try out a sweet banh mi. It's basically the Vietnamese
version of an ice cream sandwich. Except that it is, quite literally, a sandwich.
The dessert banh mi is mainly eaten as a snack, and it consists of three to four scoops of ice
cream topped with crushed peanuts and finished with a healthy drizzle of sweet and decadent
condensed milk. And yes, it is all packed into one of those light and crispy Vietnamese
baguettes. One giant ice cream sandwich will put you back about 5,000 Vietnamese dongs,
but don't fret, as that's roughly only 21 American cents. That sounds like quite a
deal if you're used to paying four or five dollars for a box of ice cream sandwiches.
"I scream-a, you scream-a, we all scream-a, for ice cream-a."
On April 30, 1975, Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, fell under Northern Vietnamese rule,
thereby ending the Vietnam War. During the conflict, an innumerable number of Vietnamese
refugees fled the country in search of better lives, and with them came their distinct cuisine.
Many Vietnamese people who traveled to the United States ended up opening bakeries,
cafés, and restaurants, which focused on providing a sense of comfort through food.
It was around this time that Americans discovered the incredibly unique wonders
of the banh mi. But it wasn't until the 1980s that the banh mi truly took off.
After the Fall of Saigon, a significant number of Vietnamese immigrants headed to Silicon Valley to
find assembly line work in the tech industry. One man decided to set up a food truck specializing in
banh mi in front of a computer manufacturing plant. He knew that the delectable sandwich
would attract not only those from his homeland but also his new American brethren. And he was
right. Soon afterwards, non-Vietnamese workers and local college students were
flocking to the truck. And in 1983, the man's sons started Lee Bros. Foodservices,
Inc, which is now the largest industrial catering company in Northern California.
The banh mi started off as somewhat of a luxury item, with limited access to anyone
who wasn't French. It eventually evolved into a quick grab n' go snack for the working man,
and it can now typically be purchased for the equivalent of about one American
dollar. But while the banh mi is still considered an everyday snack item,
Chef Peter Cuong Franklin, owner of Anan Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City,
has converted this humble sandwich into one fit for royalty that costs 100 American dollars.
This decadent sandwich starts off with truffled mayonnaise on bread that's grilled after
application. While it's nice and toasty, both sides are spread with real French pate sourced
from a French expat who owns a charcuterie shop in the restaurant's locale. Instead of grilled pork,
the chef adds sous vide pork that's also grilled to get a nice smoke. After that comes some sautéed
foie gras, house-made pickles and cucumber, and the herbs: cilantro, basil, and mint.
But wait: there's more! A side of sweet potato fries, with caviar for dipping,
is also included. Plus, two glasses of prosecco. And if the caviar sounds like
too much, you can substitute it with truffled mayonnaise.