The most read Vietnamese newspaper
Edition: International | Vietnamese
© Copyright 1997 VnExpress.net. All rights reserved.
CNN first published the list of "50 of the world's best breads" on Oct. 18.
In Asia, China's shaobing, Hong Kong's pai bao, India's paratha, Indonesia's roti gambang, Japan's kare pan and Malaysia's roti canai appeared on the list.
Many readers and tourists; however, were surprised to see Vietnam's banh mi missing.
According to CNN, this list reflects diversity. Along with memorable flavor, these breads are chosen for their unique ingredients, iconic status and the sheer, homey pleasure of eating them.
The ranking defines "bread" as flour products that are baked or fried directly, such as roti, pita, ciabatta, lavash. While "sandwich" is a dish using bread to hold the filling, it belongs to a different culinary group, which makes Vietnam's banh mi, defined as a sandwich, falls under another selection criteria.
According to CNN, "bread" is a broad term that appears in most cultures and reflects human adaptations in the way they use grains.
Each region has its own variation. Germany has pumpernickel made from rye steamed for 24 hours while Ethiopia has injera, a mildly sour dish made from teff flour, and Turkey has a fragrant, crispy simit covered in sesame.
The Vietnamese dish called "banh mi" is no longer a simple baked loaf of bread, but a complete dish, consisting of a crispy crust and many fillings such as cold cuts, pate, pork sausage, herbs, cucumbers, pickles and chili sauce.
In the international culinary understanding, it is a sandwich, not a simple bread.
Kao Sieu Luc, director of ABC Bakery, who is known as the "king of bread", said that bread was introduced to Vietnam during the French colonial period more than 100 years ago, when the French brought with them the hard, crispy baguette made from wheat flour.
Faced with shortages of raw ingredients and ovens, Vietnamese bakers cleverly adapted the French baguette into a soft, airy loaf with a thin, crisp crust.
What really sets Vietnamese bread apart is its wide variety of fillings, which vary by region — from cold cuts and fish cakes to meatballs, fried pork belly, and shredded chicken, Luc added.
This difference is also reflected in language.
On March 24, 2011, the Oxford English Dictionary officially added the word "banh mi" to its vocabulary, with the definition: "A Vietnamese snack consisting of a baguette (traditionally baked with both rice and wheat flour) filled with a variety of ingredients, typically including meat, pickled vegetables, and chili."
Cambridge Dictionary defines: "banh mi is a type of long sandwich eaten in Vietnam."
These definitions indicate that, in the global view, banh mi is recognized as a sandwich with a distinctly Vietnamese identity, not merely a plain bread like a baguette or focaccia.
A loaf of banh mi with full toppings costs from VND15,000 to VND50,000 (US$0.65-2.10).
In June, CNN listed Vietnam's banh mi in a list of the world's 25 best sandwiches, saying "it is widely loved well beyond the country's borders."
