Bánh mì

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Bánh mì

Bánh mì (pronounced [ˈbʌn mi, bun me] in English and [ʔɓɐːɲ³⁵ mi²¹] in Vietnamese), sometimes also referred to as a "Vietnamese hoagie", is a Vietnamese submarine sandwich, made with a French-inspired baguette. It is made up of thinly sliced, pickled carrots, daikon, onions, cilantro, choice of barbecued pork, paté, chicken and other meats. The contrasting flavors and textures of the sandwich — as well as its relatively low cost — make it a popular dish.

1 Availability
2 Ingredients
3 Retailers
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Availability

The sandwich can be found in small bánh mì shops around the world: in Saigon and throughout Vietnam; in the 13th district of Paris; various Vietnamese communities in Australia including Cabramatta and Footscray; and in many Vietnamese American communities throughout the United States, where Vietnamese food is available in almost every major city. Bánh mì are served (often to-go) everywhere from humble mom-and-pop joints to trendy urban bistros.

[edit] Ingredients

The genesis of this sandwich obviously stems from the French countryside "salad sandwich" which consists of lettuces, tomatoes and sometimes vegetables as well as dressing served on a baguette. The ingredients in a vietnamese sandwich vary most notably in their meat selections. The most common varieties are bánh mì gà made with chicken, banh mi trung with scrambled egg, bánh mì bì made with shredded pork skin and roasted rice powder, bánh mì thịt nướng made with grilled pork, bánh mì xíu mại made with juicy crushed pork meatballs, with the most popular bánh mì dāc bịêt or the special combo which comprises of all the ingredients. Also occasionally available is bánh mì chay, a vegetarian option, usually made with tofu or textured vegetable protein. Although, the most common is made with various Vietnamese coldcuts made of pork, and pickled vegetables consisting of carrot and radish. Also added are chili peppers and pate. Another popular option is the breakfast Banh Mi, either with fried scrambled eggs wrapped within, or the more popular version eaten widely for breakfast in Vietnam: Eggs fried sunny-side-up with onions, sprinkled with Soy sauce or Maggi Sauce, and eaten with a fresh (and sometimes buttered) baguette.

[edit] Retailers

Bánh mì is generally served in small shops and at some pho noodle eateries. Chains offering bánh mì in California include Ba-Le Sandwiches, and Saigon Sandwiches. Lee's Sandwiches [1] operates restaurants in California, Arizona, Oklahoma, and Texas. Several modern chains offer traditional Vietnamese bánh mì and Western-style baguette sandwiches. Mr. Baguette, a popular bánh mì café located in the Los Angeles suburb of Rosemead, California, is planning to expand to other areas in California. Bánh mì was featured in San Jose in the 2002 PBS documentary Sandwiches That You Will Like.