Visitors line up to experience bánh mì at the 3rd Việt Nam Bánh Mì Festival being held in HCM City from March 21-24. —VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — A wide variety of bánh mì (Vietnamese sandwich) with many types of fillings are being displayed at the 3rd Việt Nam Bánh Mì Festival that opened on Friday in HCM City.

The festival features more than 140 stalls, an increase of 30 per cent compared to last year’s festival, showcasing hundreds of types of bread products, baked goods and sweets with different brands, baking ingredients, coffee and drinks.

Traditional meat sandwiches and many creative variations such as seafood sandwiches, baguettes, sweet bread, and sesame bread are introduced at the event.

Visitors can experience unique bread flavours and learn about how to make bánh mì at the event.

One of the highlights of the festival is a bread and coffee buffet that offers hundreds of types of bread from many countries along with Vietnamese dishes.

The event also offers many exciting activities, including a unique check-in space and a showcase of automatic bread production lines.

Visitors enjoy bánh mì at the 3rd Việt Nam Bánh Mì Festival being held in HCM City from March 21-24. —VNA/VNS Photo

​Nguyễn Thị Khánh, chairwoman of the HCM City Tourism Association, the event’s organiser, said that the event themed, “Global flavours – Spreading the world wide”, is aimed at promoting Vietnamese cuisine and honour the skill and creativity of bakers.

The event also includes a record-setting programme of 100 types of fillings and toppings in a bánh mì being displayed on a large boat model, indicating the journey of bánh mì gaining global recognition, Khánh said.

Another highlight is the welcome gate area which is decorated with 1,100 loaves of bread, including models and real bread, she said.

Nguyễn Thị Thanh Thảo, marketing executive at ABC Bakery, said that bánh mì represents Vietnamese cultural identity, making it a must-try experience for foreign visitors.

At the event, ABC Bakery introduces to visitors its unique bánh mì thanh long (dragon fruit bread) together with beef stew, are among some signature dishes of Việt Nam, Thảo said.

Nguyễn Khôi, a resident at Bình Thạnh District, who is very excited to enjoy activities at the festival, said “Each stall has its own unique flavor. I have just tried the best vegetarian bread ever.”

The event at Lê Văn Tám Park in District 1 is expected to attract 150,000 domestic and foreigners. It will run until March 24. —VNS

Animal-shaped bread is displayed at the festival. —VNA/VNS Photo