(Vietnamese baguette is ranked 7th in world’s top 50 best street foods. Photo: VietnamPlus)
Hanoi (VNA) - TasteAtlas, a website dedicated to discovering fresh ingredients, traditional dishes, and authentic restaurants around the world, has recognised the Vietnamese baguette, locally called "Banh mi", as the 7th best street food in the world.
According to the site, Banh mi (pronounced 'bun mee') is a popular Vietnamese variety of sandwich that shares the same core ingredient of a French-style baguette.
Banh mi can be easily found at street vendors and food carts everywhere. This is not only a popular breakfast/lunch/dinner for Vietnamese people, but also well-known and beloved by many foreign visitors.
The baguette was brought over to Vietnam during the French colonial period, and nowadays it is one of the few remaining legacies from that time. The classic version is pork-based, starring cha lua (Vietnamese-style pork pie), shredded pickled carrots, pickled daikon, cilantro leaves, mayonnaise. and other ingredients. Depending on the region, people can taste different kinds of banh mi with various fillings.
(The crispy hot crust on the outside, the richness of meat inside, and unique sour taste of fresh vegetables makes banh mi one of the most unforgettable and irresistible dishes. (Photo: VietnamPlus)
In each region of Vietnam, Banh mi tells different stories about the distinct flavor preferences of locals, local herbs and vegetables, and local meats. However, they all share similarities in terms of main ingredients and flavors.
Firstly, the signature shape and flavor of the crunchy small-size baguette, it often comes in 20-30 cm length with a golden crispy outer layer accompanied by a white, soft inner layer of yeasty white bread. Banh mi delivers a satisfying textural feeling at the first bite.
Pate used in most Banh mi both inside and outside Vietnam contributes to the unmistakable taste of the dish. The second commonality is the signature flavor of unique Pate paste and the homemade mayonnaise sauce. This spread is made mainly from pork liver, while some variants are made from cow, chicken, or duck.
Mayonnaise adds the creamy mouthfeel of the bite, making a perfect flavor addition to Pate.
The third similarity is the taste of herbs and vegetables alongside the main fillings. Some local herbs such as Vietnamese basil, cilantro, spring onion, pickled carrot and radish, mint, and cucumber are always added for a more nutritious and flavor-balance loaf of Banh mi.
Guotie from China came in first place in the latest TasteAtlas ranking. The pan-fried variety of the Chinese jiaozi dumpling is a Northern Chinese dumpling typically filled with minced pork, Chinese cabbage, scallions, ginger, rice wine, and sesame seed oil.
Roti canai, the Malaysian breakfast of champions, was placed second.
Meanwhile, Spain's espetos claimed the third position, followed by tacos, the national dish of Mexico.
Another Mexican favourite, carnitas, a dish made from pork that is braised, roasted, or slow-cooked in its fat until it is fully tender and succulent, ranked 5th.
Japanese kaarage ranked sixth. Karaage is a Japanese frying technique that is often used to prepare chicken. The chicken is marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, sake, and sugar, then coated with arrowroot starch and deep-fried.
Other street foods that made the top 10 ranked by TasteAtlas included peirogi (8th), a stuffed dumpling from Ukraine, and esquites (9th), a Mexican street food that is typically consumed as a snack on the go and made from mature corn kernels, epazote, and salt.
Cochinita pibil, a Mexican pork dish originating from Yucatan, grabbed the 10th spot.
TasteAtlas is considered one of the world's most prestigious traditional culinary experience travel guide websites, with a catalog of more than 10,000 types of food and drink from around the world. The recipes posted on this website are appreciated by food critics and journalists./.
