Bánh mì: what goes inside, the kinds to try, and how to order one

The baguette came to Việt Nam with the French. What Vietnamese bakers did with it is another story: a lighter, airier loaf with a crust that shatters, split and filled at a street cart in under a minute. In Vietnamese bánh mì simply means bread; everywhere else it now means this sandwich, and since 2011 it has its own entry in the Oxford English Dictionary.

What goes inside

• Pa tê: pork liver pâté, spread thick.
• Bơ: a smear of butter or homemade mayonnaise.
• Chả lụa: Vietnamese pork sausage, sliced, with other cold cuts.
• Đồ chua: pickled carrot and daikon, for crunch and sourness.
• Cucumber, coriander, fresh chilli, and a splash of soy or seasoning sauce.

The kinds to try

• Bánh mì thịt: the classic, with cold cuts and pâté.
• Bánh mì thịt nướng: grilled pork, hot from the charcoal.
• Bánh mì trứng: fried eggs, the breakfast one.
• Bánh mì xíu mại: soft pork meatballs in tomato sauce, to dip or stuff.
• Bánh mì chả cá: fried fish cake, a coastal favourite.
• Bánh mì que: a thin stick of bread with pâté and chilli, from Hải Phòng.

How to order

• “Cho tôi một bánh mì thịt.” One bánh mì with meat, please.
• “Không ớt.” No chilli. “Ít ớt.” A little chilli.
• “Không rau mùi.” No coriander.
• “Thêm trứng.” Add an egg.

Good to know

• Pick the cart with the queue. Turnover means the bread is fresh.
• The best carts warm the loaf over charcoal before filling it. Eat it straight away, while the crust still crackles.
• Bánh mì is breakfast, lunch and the snack in between. Sài Gòn and Hội An are both famous for theirs; the best one is the one nearest you.

Eat Sài Gòn with us

In Sài Gòn, our Back-of-the-Bike Food Night rides you between six stalls after dark, and our Market-to-Wok Cooking Class starts in the market, with a market auntie.