Second Banh mi festival underway in HCM City

HCM City, May 20 (VNA) - The second Banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich) festival opened in Ho Chi Minh City on May 17, featuring 131 booths, a rise of 25% over the previous edition.

Along with major businesses in the industry, this year's festival also draws famous brands such as Huynh Hoa, Icool Nguyen Sinh, Sunrises Kebab, and Torki food.

Visitors will have a chance to experience diverse activities such as Banh mi baking and donut making, and explore the process of making hamburgers. They will have opportunities to enjoy ice cream with Banh mi, and mini-sized Banh mi for free at certain times.

Within the framework of the festival from May 17-19, the organisers also introduce an area to highlight 150 dishes, and a giant Banh mi model.

Nguyen Thi Khanh, President of the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Association (HTA) and head of the organising board of the festival, said that the event aims to create a new tourism product, contributing to promote the Vietnamese cuisine which has grown in popularity among foodies from around the globe.

Director of the municipal Department of Tourism Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa said that Banh mi has been a must-try food for visitors to the city and the department will continue to work with the HTA to organise the festival annually, while expanding the festival to the regional and international scales.

Banh mi is a type of Vietnamese baguette sandwich filled with pâté, cold meats, and vegetables. Although they vary greatly between cities and between individual vendors, pork of some kind is usually used.

One of Vietnam’s most beloved foods, it was first brought to the country by the French in the 19th century and has since undergone a number of adaptations and changes. They may be found anywhere, from the stalls of street vendors to the menus of the finest restaurants.

Last month, the Vietnamese dish was ranked first in the list of the top 100 sandwiches in the world by international food website Taste Atlas. It also has had its name defined in reputable dictionaries like Oxford, Cambridge, and Merriam-Webster, to name just a few.-VNA