Banh mi, Vietnam’s fusion sandwich, is served in street food stalls from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi.
What is it?
Popular around the world, this toasted baguette stuffed with mayonnaise, pâté, meat, pickled vegetables and fresh herbs is a serious contender for the coveted title of world’s best sandwich.
Ingredients (serves 2)
1 long crusty bread stick, halved then sliced lengthways
whole-egg mayonnaise
1 tin liver spread or coarse liver pâté
4 slices cooked pork belly, thinly sliced
4 slices cha lua (Vietnamesestyle ham) or mortadella
4 slices cucumber
Maggi Seasoning or light soy sauce, to taste
2 red chillies, chopped
A handful of coriander leaves (cilantro)
For the pickle:
1 tsp salt
125g (4½ oz) sugar
1 medium carrot, julienned
1 daikon, julienned
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup water
How to cook
Step 1: Make the pickle at least an hour before using by sprinkling the salt and 2 tsp of the sugar on the carrot and daikon in a bowl.
Step 2: Extract as much liquid as possible by pressing on the vegetables gently.
Step 3: Rinse with cold water and press again to extract as much water as possible.
Step 4: In a small saucepan, place the remaining sugar, vinegar and water on a low heat and stir the mixture together, until the sugar dissolves.
Step 5: Pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetables and set aside for at least an hour.
Step 6: To assemble the banh mi, spread some mayonnaise on the top half of the breadstick, and the liver spread on the bottom half.
Step 7: Layer two slices each of the pork belly, ham and cucumber. Season with Maggi Seasoning or light soy sauce.
Step 8: Drain the julienned carrot and daikon from the vinegar mixture and add to the sandwich.
Step 9: Add the chillies and coriander. Serve.
Tasting notes
Banh mi is the epitome of street food; the sandwiches are sold almost exclusively from informal stalls and vendors across Vietnam. If there’s any seating at all, it usually takes the form of tiny plastic stools, and the sandwiches are generally served to go, wrapped in recycled paper. Pâté? Meatballs or grilled pork? Chilli? Mayonnaise?
Diners are asked to choose their meats, as well as their toppings and condiments. If you’re feeling indecisive, you can go for banh mi dac biet (“special” banh mi that runs the gamut of Vietnamese-style charcuterie, from head cheese to steamed sausage). Regardless, the result is crispy, meaty, rich and spicy – the best of Southeast Asian cuisine in a Western package.
Other recipes to try:
Italian tagliatelle al ragu
Polish bigos
Texan spicy chilli
Have you recreated any of the dishes featured in this series so far? Share your pictures with us on Twitter and Instagram by tagging @lonelyplanet. For more great recipes, check out Lonely Planet’s book The World’s Best Street Food.
This article was originally published in May 2020 and updated in December 2020.
