Shumai bánh mì from a restaurant in District 1, HCM City. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — A Vietnamese “bánh mì” festival will take place in HCM City from March 30 – April 2, according to the HCM City Tourism Association. 

The first event of this kind, which will feature 120 pavilions of domestic and foreign restaurants, hotels, bread shops, suppliers and businesses, aims to recognise the values of bread for Vietnamese cuisine and honour the skill and creativity of bakers. It is expected to attract 50,000 visitors.

A ceremony to honour top long-standing and famous bread brands in Vietnam; and a workshop on the development of bánh mì in Việt Nam will be organised in the framework of the event.

According to Chairwoman of the HCM City Tourism Association, along with phở (noodle soup), bún chả (rice vermicelli with grilled pork and fresh herb), cơm tấm (broken rice), bánh xèo (sizzling pancake), hủ tíu (rice noodle soup), and bún bò Huế (Huế beef noodle), bánh mì also wins favour with local people and tourists.

"Bánh mì" is ranked 7th among the best street foods in the world by TasteAtlas, a website dedicated to discovering fresh ingredients, traditional dishes, and authentic restaurants around the world. It was also named among the 50 best street foods in Asia by CNN.

“Bánh mì” (pronounced 'bun mee') is a popular Vietnamese variety of sandwich that shares the same core ingredient which is a baguette.

The baguette was brought over to Việt Nam during the colonial period, and nowadays it is one of the few remaining legacies from the time. In the beginning, most banh mi sandwiches consisted of bread, meat, and seasonings, with no added vegetables. — VNS