Second Saigon banh mi festival slated for May

Updated: 15:44, 24/04/2024

Ho Chi Minh City will host the second banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich) festival on May 17-19, aiming to promote the Vietnamese cuisine which has grown in popularity among foodies from around the globe.

The Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Association (HTA) said on Tuesday that the event will feature some 150 booths of renowned banh mi brands aged 50 and above, restaurants, bakeries, and suppliers of materials and bread-making tools.

Foreign tourists enjoy banh mi at the first festival of its kind in HCMC, May 2023.

A space dedicated to the history of banh mi will be arranged at the festival, helping popularize the food among both domestic and foreign visitors.

Other highlights of the festival include seminars on Vietnamese banh mi and global tourism and cuisine, and a startup programme for women and pastry students.

Banh mi is a type of Vietnamese baguette sandwich filled with pâté, cold meats, and vegetables. Although they vary greatly between cities and between individual vendors, pork of some kind is usually used.

One of Vietnam’s most beloved foods, it was first brought to the country by the French in the 19th century and has since undergone a number of adaptations and changes. They may be found anywhere, from the stalls of street vendors to the menus of the finest restaurants.

Last month, the Vietnamese banh mi was ranked first in the list of the top 100 sandwiches in the world by international food website TasteAtlas. It also has had it name defined in reputable dictionaries like Oxford, Cambridge, and Merriam-Webster.