Street Food
Bruce Mackenzie
Bread - Banh Mi - Baguettes Bread and Banh Mi
The importance of bread in the formation of human societies cannot be overstated . From the western half of Asia , where wheat was domesticated , cultivation spread north and west , to Europe and North Africa . This in turn led to the formation of towns , as opposed to a nomadic lifestyle , and gave rise to increasingly sophisticated forms of societal organization . Similar developments occurred in eastern Asia , centred on rice , and in the Americas with maize . The sandwich first showed up in the 1880s , around the same time the expansion of French Indochina occurred .
Combined with a few other items – especially coffee , of which Vietnam produces some of the world ’ s best , – the Vietnamese culinary scene began to change from this influence . Banh mi ( which translates as wheat bread ) was originally very simple , consisting of a loaf of French bread , a bit of butter , ham , or pâté , and was favored by the upper class , or those who wanted to act like they belonged there .
It remained this uncomplicated yet lofty snack until the middle of the 20th century , when a lot of things in Vietnam began to change in a big way . French rule ended in 1954 , Vietnam was then in control of its destiny for the first time . Modifications and adjustments were made to everything from lifestyles , education and food ( cuisine style and habits ) wasn ’ t far behind . Soon , banh mi was available on every street corner . Cheap , easy to make , and simple to carry , it was easily adaptable to a newly revitalized culture .
To spice things up a bit , the Vietnamese took the now-common French roll and added their own tastes and likes to it – cilantro , mayonnaise , chilies , and pickled veggies were thrown into the mix , plus pork , chicken and beef were added to the menus to provide a bit of variety . Don ’ t forget – its popularity was a big deal in Vietnam at the time . In the years since banh mi has undergone an even more dramatic change , acting as somewhat of a middleman between the eastern and western cultures that are constantly influencing each other . As it has grown to become a staple of the Vietnamese diet , so has its versatility in satisfying all tastes . You can find banh mi breakfast sandwiches with scrambled eggs and onions , and sandwiches that contain jalapeno , pork belly , cheese , tofu , sardines , or meatballs . You can even find ice cream banh mi – literally a roll of bread with scoops of ice cream stuffed in the middle ! As its popularity continues to grow , the banh mi and bread sandwich can be found in almost every major city in the world . Most have their own local variations to give it a bit of hometown flavour , but now you know – there ’ s a lot more to it than just bread , meat , and veggies here in Vung Tau .
Bánh mì (/ ˈbæn ˌmiː /; Vietnamese pronunciation : [ ɓǎɲ mî ]) is a Vietnamese term for all kinds of bread . The word is derived from bánh ( bread ) and mì ( wheat , also spelled mỳ in northern Vietnam ). Bread , or more specifically the baguette , was introduced by the French during its colonial period . The bread most commonly found in Vietnam is a single-serving baguette type roll , which is usually airier than its Western counterpart , with a thinner crust .
What makes a long Banh mi roll different to a traditional French baguette ?
A baguette is a long thin loaf of French bread that is commonly made from basic lean dough ( the dough , though not the shape , is defined by French law ). It is distinguishable by its length and crisp crust . A baguette has a diameter of about 5 or 6 centimetres ( 2 or 2⅓ in ) and a usual length of about 65 centimetres ( 26 in ), although a baguette can be up to a metre ( 39 in ) long . The baguette must weigh 250 grams ( 8.75 ounces ), batard 500 grams ( 17.5 ounces ) and ficelle 100 grams ( 3.5 ounces ). Baguettes , either relatively short single-serving size or cut from a longer loaf , are very often used for sandwiches , usually of the submarine sandwich type , but also Panini . They are often sliced and served with pâté or cheese . As part of the traditional continental breakfast in France , slices of baguette are spread with butter and jam and dunked in bowls of coffee or hot chocolate . In the United States , French bread loaves are sometimes split in half to make French bread pizza .
32 The MAG Vung Tau