13 years of bread in the Oxford dictionary

Wherever you go, when the two words 'banh mi' pop up, you know people are talking about Vietnamese bread. It is a dish that foreigners want to enjoy but must say in Vietnamese.

Vietnamese people eat bread all year round without getting bored, and Miss H'Hen Nie (in the photo) is no exception - Photo: DUYEN PHAN

Vietnamese people eat rice and sticky rice, Vietnamese civilization is a thousand-year-old civilization of rice. Before that, we did not eat bread. Bread followed the French to Saigon, down to the six provinces of the South, to the North and then "fell in love" with this nation. Now, there is no place without bread. March 24th coincides with the 13th anniversary of "banh mi" entering the Oxford dictionary as a proper noun, referring to Vietnamese bread and only Vietnam has this type of bread.

Cultural barcode

Although originating from Europe, Vietnamese sandwiches are very different from the bread of its birthplace. That is why when talking about Vietnamese sandwiches, foreigners still feel that the word "Vietnamese sandwich" is wrong, so the two words "banh mi" were added to the Oxford dictionary, next to baguette, sandwich... The Vietnamese sandwich is famous, The Guardian does not hesitate to call it "the best sandwich in the world". Not in Rome, Copenhagen or New York, but on the streets of Vietnam. In the rankings of the best street foods, sandwiches are never absent. Isn't it interesting? From a dish that was once criticized by scholars, typically Nguyen Dinh Chieu - in the Can Giuoc Memorial Service - "Why live in a military camp, sharing bland wine, gnawing on bread, hearing it makes you feel even more ashamed" - considering bread and wine as foreign cultures. Now, banh mi has become a part of Vietnamese culinary culture and has gone out into the world with the proper noun "banh mi". "Banh mi" along with "pho" (noodle soup) and "ao dai" (ao dai) in Oxford has become the "cultural barcode" of Vietnamese people.

In addition to traditional sandwiches, the world of Vietnamese sandwiches is interestingly rich and sophisticated, pictured is the meatball sandwich - Photo: DUYEN PHAN

Traditional burgers are nothing

Bread is a product of cultural assimilation. Researcher Huynh Ngoc Trang said in 2018: "It is cultural assimilation that makes the cultural structure mature, diverse and richer." Perhaps the initial stage of cultural assimilation is a tumor, making us uncomfortable. However, later history has proven that it is perfectly grafted into our bodies.

The sandwich has become a perfect example of Vietnamese culture's openness, tolerance, and willingness to absorb and accept all trends and movements in the world.

The Western sandwich "invaded" and "made a mess" of Vietnamese cuisine, then calmly and straightforwardly "went back" to the world with so many interesting and inviting things. It's like eating a sandwich, inviting you to Vietnam - a place that is not the homeland of bread, but when you come here, you will enjoy the best bread in the world. However, the interesting thing is that we Vietnamize it according to our own identity. The "when in Rome, do as the Romans do" quality is clearly seen. Use whatever is available, eat whatever is available, use whatever is convenient...

Inside the sandwich is a whole world of Vietnamese philosophy; there is pate, meat, sausage, sauce and herbs - Photo: DUYEN PHAN

Vietnamese traditional sandwiches are usually filled with pate, pork belly or roast pork, ham, herbs, cucumbers... then sprinkled with a little salt and pepper or drizzled with a little rich sauce. Those who like can add thinly sliced ​​chili on top. But the traditional meat sandwich mentioned above is nothing. If they don't know, foreigners can easily get "confused" when exploring the world of Vietnamese sandwiches. It is rich and sophisticatedly "multilingual". Even traditional sandwiches in the three regions of the North, Central and South are not completely the same. Therefore, in Saigon, you can still see signs for Hanoi sandwiches and vice versa, in Hanoi, you can still see Saigon sandwiches for sale. As for sandwiches in the Central region, typically Da Nang or Hoi An, the sandwiches have a richer filling and are served with Vietnamese coriander.

Many international tourists coming to Vietnam must eat bread - Photo: QUANG DINH

Each region also has its own unique style of bread. For example, in Nha Trang, people often eat bread with fish cakes... It is not necessary to have meat, some places have fried eggs and pate. It is still delicious as usual. Not stopping at meat sandwiches, now Vietnamese people are extremely quick to create vegan bread with tofu, mushrooms, vegetarian pate, vegetarian sauce or fermented grapefruit peel... This is very popular with diners who tend to eat vegan. Once again, Vietnamese bread scores points. Just like that, it travels around the world of multi-sensory and flavored foods, from Asia to Europe, to America, bringing a "Vietnamese landscape" through the stomach.

Tieu Tung - Tuoitre.vn

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