How did banh mi go from $100 to $1 and back again? When the French colonists came to Vietnam, they
made sure that all of their necessary foods were also readily available to them, which meant
importing them directly from France. One of those staple dishes was a simple sandwich known
as Jambon-beurre, which translates to ham and butter. Thus, a basic ham and butter sandwich
was an early source of inspiration for the banh mi. But another important meal in the evolution
of the banh mi was the French charcuterie board. At its most basic level, a charcuterie board
contains bread, butter or spread, meat, and cheese. In the 1800s, the French colonists were
also living it up with the addition of liver pate, possibly foie gras, pickles, fresh vegetables,
and decadent spreads like jam, mustard, and mayonnaise. But it was only served to the French
colonists, and it was only available at high-end restaurants. It wasn't something that regular
Vietnamese citizens could afford. In a sense, charcuterie can be likened to a
build-your-own sandwich station, which is why it's easy to see how the
banh mi could take inspiration from it. The traditional Vietnamese banh mi
is pretty basic when you get down to its core components. It has to have the
ever-present baguette as its holding element, and it has to contain 50 percent wheat flour and
50 percent rice. Once you've got the bread down, you'll need mayonnaise or butter; some type
of filling like pork, chicken, or tofu; fresh vegetables, typically cucumbers, as well
as pickled daikon and carrots. Lastly, you'll need a few condiments to add a bit more flavor,
like soy sauce, fish sauce, or Maggi seasoning. It's a simple, no-frills sandwich that
utilizes all five of the different tastes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami.
It also combines different textures, which is probably a good thing, because
as tasty as a slice of American cheese on untoasted white bread is, you have
to admit that it's a bit boring. "I’m bored." "Wait!" There might be innumerable variations
of banh mi, but the one constant is the bread. It's so important that "banh mi"
literally translates to "wheat bread." And what's particularly special about this bread
is that it's not your typical French baguette. In the mid-1800s, the French decided that it
was their duty to help Vietnam grow from an uncivilized and impoverished country to
one more in line with European cultural ideals. Because Vietnam didn't have any of the
required French ingredients for proper meals, colonists had theirs shipped over from the
motherland. And so, the French introduced into Vietnamese cuisine items like flan,
pate, foie gras, coffee, and the baguette. As you can imagine, the two World Wars put
a bit of a damper on the importation and exportation of consumables and goods, which
meant having to make do with what you had and learning how to improvise. So the French
baguette underwent a bit of a transformation, as it began using a 50/50 blend of wheat
and rice flour, as opposed to only wheat. The tasty result of this new recipe
was a lighter, flakier, less dense, and somewhat hollow Vietnamese-style baguette that
was perfect for the reinvention of the banh mi. "Un loaf de bread, s'il vous plaît. Merci!" When it's time to order the perfect banh
mi, you'll be presented with a whole host of flavorful fillings and toppings.
But when you get right down to it, there are just two main categories:
Northern style and Saigon style. Northern style banh mi contains just
a few ingredients, like butter, pate, salt and pepper, and maybe a random
cucumber or a little cilantro. It's basically just bread and spread with light
seasoning. The Northern style is probably most akin to what the French colonists
were scarfing down back in the day. Saigon style is the more well-known of the two
banh mi styles and is most likely the version that you're familiar with. It generally
contains one or two protein fillings, fragrant herbs, fresh and pickled vegetables,
one or more spreads like mayonnaise and pate, a spice element like sliced jalapeños
or other fiery chilis, and more. The banh mi is typically enjoyed for breakfast
or as a midday snack. That might sound a bit odd to American eaters, considering that the
standard sandwich can usually incorporate pate and pickles. But it's not uncommon to find
these ingredients incorporated in breakfast around the world. For example, in Japan,
the typical morning meal can include fish, miso soup, rice, and pickled vegetables,
while Australians enjoy a healthy bowl of farro topped with a poached egg and pickled
veggies. And in Germanic and Baltic countries, cold cuts and pate are a normal
part of the breakfast circuit. But there is an actual banh mi
specifically designated for breakfast, and it's sort of the equivalent to a fried egg
on toast. This breakfast banh mi is a buttered baguette with scrambled or sunny-side-up
eggs, onions, and a smidge of soy sauce. Sounds tasty, so let's wake up and get cooking! "Waaaaaaaaaaake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!" Just like any other sandwich, there's a
specific protocol that you must follow in order to properly assemble a banh mi.
Of course, it depends on how much you're going to be stuffing into that fluffy
little baguette, but nevertheless, each ingredient has its own designated spot in
the lineup. This formula ultimately results in a fully functional sandwich, meaning it won't
squish out the top, bottom, or sides. And that's a good thing, because who wants to
ruin yet another shirt while eating lunch? "If you had another to change into,
you could nail the interview." It's essential that the bread is fresh and
warm. Once you slice it down the middle, spread mayonnaise all the way to the edges
of the bread, then sprinkle it with the Swiss condiment Maggi Seasoning. After that,
add your protein of choice, pate if desired, and then top it off with crunchy pickled daikon
and carrot, sliced cucumber, fresh herbs like cilantro, mint, or basil, and some jalapeño.
Then wrap it up or eat it right then and there! When it comes to ordering a banh mi, you can
choose from a whole multitude of different protein fillings: pork, beef, chicken, fish,
tofu, fried egg, or even ice cream. Okay, that last one isn't exactly a protein option,
but it just proves the point that whatever you want on your banh mi, you can probably get it.
You might think that something like barbecued or grilled pork or even pork belly would be the clear
winner overall, but you'd have to guess again. "Guess again." The most popular banh mi also has the closest
ties to the original French colonial sandwich. It's called the Special Combo, or sometimes
the House Special. Whatever name it goes by, all you need to know is that it's special. It's
a bit of a riff on a French charcuterie board, which typically has bread, butter, pate, and cold
cuts. It's basically a deconstructed sandwich. Meanwhile, the Special Combo is pretty much a
cold-cut sandwich, filled with a combination of any of the following: cold cuts, ham, head cheese,
rolled pork, salt-cured pork, or Vietnamese pork sausage. And then of course, there's also the
pate, as well as the ever-present crunchy pickles, fresh cucumber and cilantro, your seasoning
of choice, and a spice element if you want it. While sandwich toppings aren't
usually listed as main ingredients, sometimes it's the little additions
that really bring it all together, and it's no different with the banh mi. If you're
going to enjoy a traditional Vietnamese banh mi, Maggi seasoning needs to be part of it. This
liquid all-in-one flavor enhancer was invented in Switzerland in the 1800s by Swiss soup
entrepreneur Julius Maggi. It sort of looks like soy sauce and lends an umami-esque
taste to whatever dish it's added to. It comes in powdered, cubed,
and liquid concentrate form, and it's described by chefs as tasting like
celery, parsley, and fennel. It's a staple item in Swiss and French kitchens, and it
made its way to Vietnam by way of the French. Besides Maggi seasoning, mayonnaise or butter are
the main spreads, which are necessary condiments as they keep the bread moist. Pate is also a
traditional spreadable protein that harkens back to the days when the French claimed this dish.
Furthermore, the addition of fresh cucumber, scallion, and herbs give a bit of fresh crispness
to this sometimes salty sandwich. Pickled daikon and carrot add a nice sour element, while
Laughing Cow Cheese can also play a part. There truly is a banh mi for every meal
of the day. If you're a dessert person, then you're definitely going to want to try out
a sweet banh mi. It's basically the Vietnamese version of an ice cream sandwich. Except
that it is, quite literally, a sandwich. The dessert banh mi is mainly eaten as a snack,
and it consists of three to four scoops of ice cream topped with crushed peanuts and finished
with a healthy drizzle of sweet and decadent condensed milk. And yes, it is all packed
into one of those light and crispy Vietnamese baguettes. One giant ice cream sandwich will
put you back about 5,000 Vietnamese dongs, but don't fret, as that's roughly only 21
American cents. That sounds like quite a deal if you're used to paying four or five
dollars for a box of ice cream sandwiches. "I scream-a, you scream-a, we
all scream-a, for ice cream-a." On April 30, 1975, Saigon, the capital of South
Vietnam, fell under Northern Vietnamese rule, thereby ending the Vietnam War. During the
conflict, an innumerable number of Vietnamese refugees fled the country in search of better
lives, and with them came their distinct cuisine. Many Vietnamese people who traveled to the
United States ended up opening bakeries, cafés, and restaurants, which focused on
providing a sense of comfort through food. It was around this time that Americans
discovered the incredibly unique wonders of the banh mi. But it wasn't until the
1980s that the banh mi truly took off. After the Fall of Saigon, a significant number of
Vietnamese immigrants headed to Silicon Valley to find assembly line work in the tech industry. One
man decided to set up a food truck specializing in banh mi in front of a computer manufacturing
plant. He knew that the delectable sandwich would attract not only those from his homeland
but also his new American brethren. And he was right. Soon afterwards, non-Vietnamese
workers and local college students were flocking to the truck. And in 1983, the
man's sons started Lee Bros. Foodservices, Inc, which is now the largest industrial
catering company in Northern California. The banh mi started off as somewhat of a
luxury item, with limited access to anyone who wasn't French. It eventually evolved into
a quick grab n' go snack for the working man, and it can now typically be purchased
for the equivalent of about one American dollar. But while the banh mi is still
considered an everyday snack item, Chef Peter Cuong Franklin, owner
of Anan Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City, has converted this humble sandwich into one fit
for royalty that costs 100 American dollars. This decadent sandwich starts off with truffled
mayonnaise on bread that's grilled after application. While it's nice and toasty, both
sides are spread with real French pate sourced from a French expat who owns a charcuterie shop in
the restaurant's locale. Instead of grilled pork, the chef adds sous vide pork that's also grilled
to get a nice smoke. After that comes some sautéed foie gras, house-made pickles and cucumber,
and the herbs: cilantro, basil, and mint. But wait: there's more! A side of sweet
potato fries, with caviar for dipping, is also included. Plus, two glasses of
prosecco. And if the caviar sounds like too much, you can substitute
it with truffled mayonnaise.