On 15/11, CNN Travel again included Vietnamese banh mi in its list of the 25 best sandwiches in the world, demonstrating this street food's growing appeal to global diners. This marks the thu hai time this year that the Vietnamese street food has been recognized by CNN. Previously in June, Vietnamese banh mi was listed among the top 10 best sandwiches globally.

In the November list, Vietnamese banh mi was mentioned in the thu hai position, accompanied by the comment: "A culinary legacy from the French colonial era – the baguette reimagined in its own unique way by the Vietnamese." Banh mi is sold across street corners in TP HCM, Ha Noi, and many other places, enjoying popularity beyond Vietnam's borders.

Banh mi with pate and cold cuts. Photo: Delish

The traditional mixed banh mi version features pork, Vietnamese sausage, carrots, pickled daikon, herbs, various sauces, and a crispy, fresh crust. Its savory and sweet flavors create an easily addictive combination. Additionally, Vietnamese banh mi offers variations such as vegetarian banh mi or lemongrass chicken banh mi.

Kao Sieu Luc, Director of ABC Bakery Company and known as the "King of Banh Mi", shared that banh mi arrived in Vietnam during the French colonial period over 100 years ago, when the French introduced their crispy, hard baguette made from wheat flour.

Despite a lack of ingredients and ovens, the Vietnamese skillfully adapted this bread, creating a softer, fluffier Vietnamese banh mi with a thin, crispy crust. The difference of Vietnamese banh mi lies in the variety of its fillings, which are adapted to each locality, ranging from cold cuts, fish cake, and xiu mai (savory meatballs) to crispy pork belly and shredded chicken.

Banh mi has been recognized many times on the world culinary map. In 2024, the traditional food review site TasteAtlas ranked Vietnamese banh mi as the top one among the 100 best sandwiches. The site also included banh mi in its category of the top 50 street foods in Asia, highlighting the strong appeal of this popular dish.

International recognition was officially recorded on 24/3/2011, when the word "banh mi" was formally added to the Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford's definition states: "A Vietnamese snack consisting of a baguette (often baked with both rice and wheat flour), filled with various ingredients, typically including meat, pickled vegetables, and chili." Meanwhile, the Cambridge Dictionary provides a more concise definition: "Banh mi is a popular long sandwich in Vietnam."

These definitions reinforce the world's perception that banh mi is a type of sandwich with a distinct Vietnamese identity.

Evidence of this widespread appeal is the growing number of Vietnamese banh mi shops abroad. For instance, Banh Anh Em in New York sells over 2,000 sandwiches per week, with diners willing to queue for hours to purchase. Recently, Nem in Wan Chai district, Hong Kong, also received recognition from the Michelin Guide after just one year of operation.

Besides Vietnamese banh mi, this November CNN honored many other famous sandwiches worldwide, such as Katsu sando (Japan), Torta ahogada (Mexico), Tramezzino (Italy), Shawarma (Middle East), and Muffaletta (New Orleans, My).

Mai Phuong (According to CNN)