You need a trip to Vietnam to try “the best street food in the world”
On March 24, 2020, Google celebrated the 9th anniversary of the word "bread" being added to the Oxford English Dictionary by featuring a Vietnamese banh mi sandwich on its homepage in 12 countries, including the US, Canada, Singapore, France, Australia, and Switzerland. This was not only a tribute to Vietnam's iconic cuisine, but also a recognition of the country's growing cultural influence around the world.
Vietnamese bread is a fresh mix of meats and vegetables
Google Vietnam has honored ancient towns like Hoi An, death anniversaries like Ca Tru, and holidays like Teachers' Day, Mid-Autumn Festival, Chinese New Year, and National Day on its homepage in the past. However, this is the first time a Vietnamese dish has been honored, and even appeared on the Google homepage of other countries. According to Google's explanation of the "Google Doodles" on March 24, Vietnamese banh mi may have originated in the bustling alleys of Saigon in the 1950s. However, many believe that it is a fusion of French and Vietnamese culture. The long baguette loaves were originally filled with cold meats, butter, or cheese, but over time, Vietnamese people have added additional fillings such as pork, lean pork pie, pate, meatballs, fried eggs, pickled vegetables, herbs, onions, cilantro, soy sauce, chili sauce, or fresh chili peppers. The diverse flavors and textures of Vietnamese banh mi, with its perfect balance of sour, spicy, salty, and sweet, provide a truly amazing dining experience from the first bite. During a visit to Hoi An (Quang Nam), chef Anthony Bourdain had the chance to try Phuong's banh mi and immediately declared it to be "the best bread in the world." After appearing on his No Reservations show, Vietnamese banh mi became even more popular around the world.
The beautiful Phuong bread restaurant in Hoi An, Da Nang, Vietnam
Earlier, The Guardian ranked Vietnamese bread second in its list of the best street food in the world. David Farley, a culinary journalist from BBC Travel, also praised Vietnamese banh mi as "the best sandwich in the world." Almost all tourists visiting Vietnam are in love with this inexpensive street food, as banh mi is always among their top must-have dishes. To make Vietnamese bread, the wheat dough is baked in the oven at 2,000 degrees Celsius for about 20 minutes, resulting in a crispy exterior and a moist interior. The sauce and some fillings may be prepared in advance and only added when an order is placed. In Vietnam, bread is a favorite breakfast dish due to its freshness and convenience. The most popular bread flavor is a fusion of butter, pork sausage or pork pie, eggs, coriander leaf, cucumber and carrot pickles, French-inspired pate, and special sauces like homemade chili sauce and mayonnaise. This creates a truly amazing harmony of meats and vegetables, showcasing the best of Vietnamese and French cuisine. Note down Vietnam in your must-have travel list to enjoy the best trip of your life!
