Crispy Pillows for Everything Under the Sun
Crunchy and light bánh mì is the perfect bed for a variety of ingredients
My first encounter with bánh mì was at the Lee’s Sandwiches at the corner of Warner Rd. and Dobson Rd. in Phoenix, Arizona. Upon walking into Lee’s, I’d get hit with the sweet aromas of bánh mì and pastries baking in their massive ovens. Eating bánh mì would often result in cuts on the roof of my mouth because of how crispy the exterior of the baguettes were, and how quickly I devoured them. The sandwiches were and still are underpriced. I remember at one point it cost $3.00 for a special combination bánh mì. Comically, Lee’s also sells “European” style sandwiches that are more expensive, smaller, and in my opinion, less delicious. Lee’s was founded in San Jose by Chieu Le, a Vietnamese immigrant who fled Vietnam with his family by boat. It’s grown to become the world’s largest bánh mì chain with over 60 locations, including one in Taiwan. And it’s largely credited with popularizing bánh mì in the United States. It hooked me.
It’s where my family would buy the freshest baguettes straight out of the oven for a rich garantita or spicy merguez sandwich. There’s beauty and solidarity in an Algerian-American family buying Vietnamese-American baguettes. Both countries were colonized by the French, and now both enjoy baguettes. There is no doubt that colonization has left trauma and scars in its wake. But it also left baguettes, pâté, and coffee that Vietnamese (and Algerian) communities have reclaimed as their own.
Origins, Context, and How to Build Your Bite
I had a conversation with Evanes Nguyen and Vy Ưng (some friends from school) to get some perspective on what bánh mì means to them, its history, and its definition. The following is a synthesis of my research and those conversations. I’d like to remind you that no group of people is a monolith. Nothing stated here is a perfect generalization. Different regions, subcultures, and families all have their own views and traditions around bánh mì.
Bánh mì literally means bread, but through synecdoche people often refer to the sandwich as bánh mì as well. Bánh mì (Vietnamese baguette) originated from French baguettes brought over by colonists. French baguettes have a thicker and chewier crust, as well as a denser crumb. Bánh mì has a thin and glass-like crispy crust, and an airy and light crumb. This unique texture allows the bread to compress for an easy bite stuffed with flavorful fillings. The French also brought over pâté, headcheese, and other forms of charcuterie which Vietnamese people made into their own. Vietnamese pâté usually has more fat, and as a result is more spreadable. This makes it perfect for a meaty and creamy layer on a nice crisp bánh mì.
For most, bánh mì isn’t a substantial meal or something that can fill you up. Instead, most people would go for a rice or noodle dish if they wanted a filling meal. Unlike how it’s eaten in the U.S., bánh mì is eaten more as a snack or breakfast in Vietnam, and isn’t as commonly eaten for lunch or dinner. Usually only simpler preparations of bánh mì would be prepared at home. A spread of pâté, a fried egg, and a squirt of chili sauce is an easy, quick, and tasty version of bánh mì that someone could slap together in five minutes for breakfast. You can make something like that with my simple recipe for a bánh mì stuffed with an omelet. However, more complicated preparations that involve multiple special toppings would take way too long to make at home. For example, the super-loaded bánh mì sandwich pictured below is stuffed with xíu mại, salted duck egg, grilled beef meatballs, cha siu, pork skin, lots of spring onion relish, and nước mắm chấm (sweetened fish sauce). This bánh mì single-handedly inspired my bánh mì bì with chà bông and salted duck egg recipe.
Different people have different requirements for their bánh mì sandwich. For some, pâté is a non-negotiable, while for others, chilis are crucial. Theoretically, anything can go in a bánh mì. Everything from fish cake to ice cream can be found as a filling. However, if you’re outside of Vietnam, or not Vietnamese, you’ll definitely catch some shade for throwing in some non-traditional ingredients. Despite this, there aren’t rules to food. Feel free to experiment at your own risk.
My favorite bánh mì sandwich used to be bánh mì thịt nướng (barbecue pork), but now it’s bánh mì đặc biệt (cold cut combination). While I love bánh mì đặc biệt (cold cut combination), I think you’ll love bánh mì thịt nướng (barbecue pork) more. So we’ll be making that recipe together.
It’s important to note that most people in Vietnam would probably buy this out at a bánh mì spot specializing in bánh mì thịt nướng. The pork is usually charcoal-grilled on skewers, and it would be a hassle to fire up a charcoal grill at home. Prepared at home, this bánh mì sandwich is still delicious.
This week, I’m running the class on Zoom instead of YouTube.
RSVP to cook bánh mì thịt nướng Wednesday March 24th at 6pm. Upon RSVP you will receive Zoom meeting details.
If you can’t source all of the ingredients, don’t worry about it! It will still turn out delicious.
Recipe: Bánh Mì Thịt Nướng (Lemongrass-marinated Barbecue Pork Bánh Mì)
If you’re curious to learn more about the hows and whys of this dish, check out my work-in-progress Notes on Bánh Mì.
If you’re interested in making the other varieties on your own time, here are recipes for some of my favorites: