VIETNAMESE BREAD: A JOURNEY OF ACCEPTANCE, IMPROVEMENT, CREATION AND BECOME A HERITAGE OF VIETNAMESE CUISINE

Abstract: Bread (bánh mì) is a food of foreign origin, introduced to Vietnam by the French in the 19th century, adopted by the Vietnamese, and modified and created into a dish with Vietnamese identity. After nearly 1.5 centuries of presence in Vietnam, bánh mì has become a familiar dish, a food source combined with many Vietnamese dishes, and a unique heritage of Vietnamese cuisine. Then, from Vietnam, Vietnamese bánh mì entered the world, becoming a popular street food, named on the culinary map of humanity and honored as one of the most delicious dishes in the world. This paper reviews the process of introducing bánh mì to Vietnam and the journey of Vietnamization, as well as the creativity in processing and using Bread, making bánh mì one of the most popular dishes in Vietnam. The article also examines bánh mì from a cultural and historical perspective, viewing bánh mì as a symbol of French-Vietnamese cultural interference, resulting from the reception and re-creation of a “foreign product” becoming a Vietnamese culinary heritage.
By TRẦN ĐỨC ANH SƠN

Keywords: bánh mì, improvement, creation, heritage of Vietnamese cuisine.

1. INTRODUCTION

There is no Vietnamese today who does not know about bánh mì (bread) because it is a familiar dish to them; everyone from young to old can eat it; you can eat it morning, noon, afternoon, and night; you can eat indoors or on the street; at the small kiosk shops on the sidewalk or in luxury restaurants; from the breakfasts eaten on the way to work, on buses, trains, planes, … going somewhere, to lavish death anniversaries, luxury parties, Bread is always present, …

Bánh mì is so popular that the Vietnamese automatically consider it their daily food, like cơm (steamed rice), like cháo (porridge), like bún (vermicelli), like phở (noodles), … but few people care where bánh mì comes from? When? How long have bánh mì been living with the Vietnamese, and why is bánh mì now so popular around the world? People praise its deliciousness, and everyone wants to enjoy bánh mì once.

Because of the popularity of bánh mì in Vietnamese society, most Vietnamese are not very interested in the “history of bánh mì”, “culture of bánh mì” and why bánh mì has become “specialties”, then the “heritage” of Vietnamese cuisine as it has been honored in recent years.

This article is concerned with that and wants to rearrange the above things in a “layered” way so that someone when buying a loaf of bánh mì, whose paper has this article printed on it, can read it and know roughly what they are holding in their hand and about to put in their mouth.

2. BÁNH MÌ AND ITS INTRODUCTION TO VIETNAM

Encyclopedia Britannica considers bread (bánh mì) to be a type of Food belonging to the topic of Arts & Culture, defined as follows, “Bread, baked food product made of flour or meal that is moistened, kneaded, and sometimes fermented. A major food since prehistoric times, it has been made in various forms using various ingredients and methods throughout the world. The first bread was made in Neolithic times, nearly 12,000 years ago, probably of coarsely crushed grain mixed with water, with the resulting dough probably laid on heated stones and baked by covering it with hot ashes. The Egyptians discovered that allowing wheat doughs to ferment, thus forming gases, produced a light, expanded loaf, and they also developed baking ovens” (https://www.britannica.com/topic/bread).

But bánh mì did not come to Vietnam from Egypt, but from the West, specifically from European explorers, missionaries, traders, … from the 17th century, especially from the French troops who invaded Vietnam in the second half of the 19th century.

Many authors have written about the journey of introducing bánh mì to Vietnam, but no one can confirm precisely when bánh mì was present and made in our country. However, based on historical documents and writings of predecessors, some evidence can be cited as follows:

* On documents

– The book “Histoire du Royaume de Tunquin.” written by missionary Alexandre de Rhodes, published in Lyon (France) in 1651, noted in Tunquin (Đàng Ngoài), grapes were not grown, so there was no wine, did not sow wheat, so there was no bread. Bread and wine were brought from Macau to Tunquin, mainly to serve the mass offering (Alexandre de Rhodes, 2020) This is the earliest document recording the presence of bánh mì in Vietnam.

– In Nguyễn Đình Chiểu’s “Liturgy of the Martyrs in Can Giuoc Battle.”, written after the battle against the French invaders by the insurgents at Cần Giuộc in Gia Định Province (now belong to Long An Province) in December 1861, the two words “bánh mì” are mentioned in the sentence: “What’s the point of living among soldiers, sharing light wine, chewing bánh mì, it sounds even more shameful” (Nguyễn Đình Chiểu), showing that bánh mì was present in Nam Kỳ (Cochinchina) in 1861. Notably, Nguyễn Đình Chiểu used the word “chew” to describe the eating of bánh mì by soldiers, proving that bánh mì at that time was a dry food (perhaps a loaf), so it could be held on the hand to chew.

– The book “南越洋合字彙. Dictionarium Latino-Annamiticum.), compiled by Bishop Jean-Louis Taberd, published in Bengal (India) in 1838, has the entry: “Panis, i.m. bánh, bánh mì; panis primaries, bánh nhứt hảo; – nauticus, bánh khô” (Taberd, Jean- Louis, 1838).

* About historic events

– In February 1859, the French-Spanish coalition attacked Gia Định Fort (in Saigon) (Trần Văn Giàu, 2006: p.70). With weapons and ammunition, they brought ingredients and bread-making techniques imported to this land to make baguette – traditional French bread, provided for this army because it is impossible to import baguette from the France because transportation is difficult and time-consuming. This was when baguette (French bread) was present and made directly in Nam Kỳ. Vietnamese soldiers in the French- Spanish invasion army also distributed this type of food to “chew,” as Nguyễn Đình Chiểu wrote in “Liturgy of the Martyrs in Cần Giuộc Battle”.

– In 1873, the French army attacked Hanoi Fort, captured this fort, and stationed troops there. The following year (1874), the Nguyễn Court signed the Giáp tuất Treaty with France, recognizing the freedom to preach, reside, travel, and trade of the French and Europeans in Hanoi and some other areas in Bắc Kỳ (Tonkin). From this time, more and more French people from France came to settle in Bắc Kỳ, mainly Hanoi and surrounding areas; Not only soldiers but also traders, engineers, doctors, officers’ wives, and their children… (Minh Tự, 2022). The demand for baguettes increased due to the large number of people. At the same time, it was impossible to import baguettes from France every day, so the French had to build ovens in Hanoi to make the baguette, which the locals call “Western cakes,” to supply these overseas French people. According to researcher Trịnh Bách: “That was when the French came in large numbers and had to open a bakery, but could not bring enough baguette from France here in large quantities for each daily meal.” (Cited by Minh Tự, 2022).

– According to the agreement in the Giáp tuất Treaty (1874), France had the right to appoint a resident in the Capital City of Huế. Therefore, from 1875, the Nguyễn Court had to agree to let the French send Mr. Paul Rheinart to Huế as a representative, set up headquarters, and bring a team of French guards (Trần Gia Phụng, 2008:35-40). In 1883, the Nguyễn Court continued to sign the Quý mùi Treaty (i.e., Harmand Treaty) with France, including provisions stipulating increased authority for French representatives in Bắc Kỳ and Trung Kỳ (ie Annam: Central Vietnam) (Articles 5). Accordingly, the Representative to Trung Kỳ (Résident de l’Annam) was changed to the Representative General to Trung Kỳ (Résident général de l’Annam) and was allowed to enter and leave the royal palace to meet Nguyễn King to discuss diplomatic matters. In 1886, the Representative General to Trung Kỳ was elevated to the position of Ambassador to Central Vietnam (Résident supérieur de l’Annam), whose headquarters was located on the south bank of the Hương River. The expansion of the Representative General to Trung Kỳ in Huế meant an increase in the number of French people in Huế and Trung Kỳ in general because, in addition to the Representative General in Huế, the French also opened more French missions in the provinces in Trung Kỳ, from Thanh Hóa to Bình Thuận provinces, under the management of the Representative General to Trung Kỳ in Huế. This will inevitably lead to the French opening bakeries in Huế and other provinces in Central Vietnam to make baguette to supply soldiers and French people serving in these localities. In other words, bánh mì was officially present in Trung Kỳ after 1874, especially after the French and the Nguyễn Dynasty signed the Quý mùi Treaty in 1883 and the permanent presence of French troops in Huế after the “Fatal Capital” incident.

In general, I agree with the opinion of researcher Trinh Bach: “It is difficult to confirm the specific year, but we can only temporarily determine that bánh mì was officially present in Nam Kỳ around the late 1850s, in Bắc Kỳ around the first half of the 1870s, and finally present in Trung Kỳ after the fall of the Capital City of Huế.” (Cited by Minh Tự, 2022).

So, by the end of the 19th century, baguette, a French-style bread, had expanded its “coverage” to the whole of Vietnam. However, for baguette in Vietnam, to “escape” French cuisine and become Vietnamese bánh mì was a process that lasted more than half a century; it took more than half a century for bánh mì to become a specialty/heritage of Vietnamese cuisine, “The European knows its name, American knows its face, humanity praises it, and the world honors it,” like today.

3. VIETNAMESE PEOPLE MODIFIED THE FRENCH BAGUETTE, CREATING VIETNAMESE BÁNH MÌ

To make bánh mì and create today’s unique “culture of bánh mì,” Vietnamese people have gone through the process of receiving, modifying, and recreating baguettes to become a food adapted to Vietnamese people, suitable for the ingredients and culinary characteristics of each locality in Vietnam. That journey started with Vietnamese workers working in bakeries established by “Western owners” with contributions from the bánh mì shop owners in Hanoi, Saigon, and many other places, and finally, the participation and creativity of the whole community in processing, using, enjoying and spreading bánh mì.

It can be confirmed that the first bakeries opened in Vietnam were founded by the French, in military camps, in European quarters, or in large hotels in Saigon and Hanoi, Hue, in the late 19th – early 20th century, and owned or operated by French/Europeans.

But, the people who directly make the hot, crispy bánh mì to serve “Western ladies and gentlemen” are not entirely French/Europeans because this is hard, lowly work with low pay, so they rarely want to do it. Therefore, they had to hire native people or Chinese as bakers to take on the heaviest tasks, such as dividing and kneading the dough, mixing the dough, and shaping and baking bánh mì. Over time, highly skilled native workers will learn the techniques of fermenting and controlling the baking process (K.M, 2016).

One day, these Vietnamese and Chinese workers, for some reason, left the Western owner’s bakeries and set up their bakeries. They make bánh mì not only for Westerners but also for Vietnamese people, not only serving the upper class in colonial society but also providing for the ordinary local people of the time. This is the beginning of the Vietnamization of the baguette, creating the petit pain (small baguette)[1] to suit Vietnamese consumption needs and finally perfecting Vietnamese bánh mì.

There are four things that Vietnamese people have done very successfully in the journey of turning French baguette into Vietnamese bánh mì. That is, shrinking the size of the baguette, creating new designs, reducing ingredients, and creating side dishes to eat with bánh mì:

A baguette was originally an oblong cake, about 70-80 cm long, with a diameter of about 3-5 cm, so it was often called “stick bread” (bánh mì que). When eating, the French/Europeans usually cut them into slices, each slice 1.5 – 2 cm thick, put them in a small basket covered with a cloth to keep the heat, or arrange the slices on a plate; they often used as a snack (with butter, white salt, and pepper) while waiting for the main dish; or served with soup (vegetables, meat, mushrooms, …), beefsteak, fried eggs…; or cut the baguette into 30 cm long pieces, split them in half, then spread butter on the cake to eat immediately, or spread cheese and a few other spices, bake until crispy and then eat. For Vietnamese, such a long “stick bread” is cumbersome, making it challenging to carry or enjoy. Therefore, they changed the baguette size from “stick” to “loaf” so that each Vietnamese bánh mì is only 30-35 cm long, which is very convenient to carry and hold in hand to eat.

– Baguette is shaped like a stick. Vietnamese people change the shape to a pointed oval loaf of bánh mì at both ends, bulging in the middle, crispy crust; the cake inside is soft and thin, convenient for cutting the lengthwise of bánh mì to “sandwich” additional foods such as pâté, meat, fried eggs, cucumbers/pickles, papaya and carrots salad, coriander, green onions, fresh chili, soy sauce… into the bánh mì, increasing the nutrition, flavor, and deliciousness… of the loaf, by the culinary preferences of the local people. To change the shape and size of the loaf, bakers are forced to adjust the yeast/flour mixture, baking method, and time. Instead of letting the dough ferment naturally, the bakers have to change the ratio of leavening agents and incubation time, adjusting the ratio of these substances accordingly, to create loaves of bánh mì of different shapes and sizes (Duy Ngô, 2020). In particular, changing the shape of baguette from “stick” to “loaf’ has caused the two ends of the Vietnamese bánh mì, after baking, to become crispier and more complex than the other parts of the Bread, becoming two “stoppers” at the two ends of bánh mì, keep the side-dishes inside bánh mì from coming out. In my opinion, this is the “smartest modification” that Vietnamese people have done while converting the form of French baguette into Vietnamese bánh mì.

– The ingredients for making baguette were originally only flour, salt, yeast, and water, with a traditional flavor that was not affected by too many other ingredients in the cake (Nguyên Nga – Ngọc Dương, 2022). However, when World War I broke out (1914 – 1919), the import of wheat flour from Europe to Vietnam was sometimes interrupted, causing a shortage of raw materials for making bánh mì. Bakeries in Vietnam had to mix rice flour (available and cheaper) into baking ingredients, creating a type of bread called “pain de riz” (rice bread) (Stanley, Simon, 2016). From mixing this rice flour, people accidentally discovered that bánh mì became softer and spongier, making it convenient to “sandwich” other side dishes. At the same time, the price of bánh mì is also cheaper, suitable for the budget of Vietnamese people at that time.

– Finally, the most outstanding creation, officially turning the “plain” French baguette into a famous Vietnamese “sandwich,” which Europeans and Americans currently honor as “a marvelous Vietnamese sandwich,” and promoted all over the world. Many articles about bánh mì published recently say that the first person to develop a Vietnamese “sandwich” was a Northern family who migrated to the South and opened Hòa Mã Bakery in Saigon in 1958. Mr. Hòa – Mrs. Tịnh, the owner of Hòa Mã Bakery, came up with a way to sandwich meat, pork rolls, and pâté in the middle of the loaf so that buyers could easily carry it with them (Phong Vinh, 2015; Nguyên Nga – Ngọc Dương, 2020). Later, chả cá sandwich and phá lấu sandwich, Cheddar cheese sandwich appeared in Saigon (Mr. True, 2016; Newspapper reporter, 2013). In the North, in the 1960s, fried egg sandwich appeared in Hanoi… (VTV2, 2019).

Nowadays, the dishes that are “sandwiched” in bánh mì are vibrant: there is meat from animals that walk on land (pigs, chickens, cows, …), meat from animals that swim in the water (fish, shrimp, squid, …); chicken, duck, quail eggs, …; all kinds of vegetable, tuber, and fruit; all kinds of cooking: steamed, boiled, grilled, pounded, fermented…; having all flavors: salty, sweet, sour, spicy, fleshy… “sandwiched” into the loaf. Depending on each locality’s products and culinary habits, the list of “sandwiches” added to a loaf of Bread is richly supplemented, spectacularly transformed, and trendy. Since then, there have been “sandwiched” bánh mì with pâté, pork rolls, fried eggs, pork floss, and pork rinds… in the North, “sandwiched” bánh mì with jambon, phá lấu, charsiu, salted eggs, pork head terrine, pâté, black beef jerky… in the South; “sandwiched” bánh mì with grilled meat, pork belly, pork head terrine, steamed dumplings, stir-fried mussels… in Huế; “sandwiched” bánh mì with fish cakes, roasted pork, shumai… in the Central region; “sandwiched” bánh mì with tofu, peanut butter-sugar, cheese… for vegetarians.

The side dishes sandwiched into bánh mì, turning the “plain” French baguette into a delicious, nutritious, cheap Vietnamese bánh mì that suits the taste of many communities, not only Vietnamese, Asians (such as Laos, Cambodian, Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese…), but also Americans, Europeans, Australians… That is the reason why Vietnamese bánh mì is chosen by NBC News and The Guardian, nominated for The World’s Best Street Food (Goode, JJ, 2008), voted by Huffpost readers as 20 Must-Try Street Foods Around the World (Fodor’s, Contributor, 2015), entered the list of 100 Best Dishes in the World, voted by TasteAtlas (TasteAtlas, 2024, update April 15th 2024), …

4. BÁNH MÌ IN VIETNAMESE CULINARY CULTURE

The integration of bánh mì into Vietnamese cuisine and culture is very positive and profound. Bánh mì has become an indispensable part of the Vietnamese people’s daily diet.

From North to South, from urban areas to rural areas, from coastal areas to mountainous areas, there is bánh mì everywhere, and everywhere there are people who eat and like bánh mì, regardless of whether they are old, middle-aged, or young, children, men, or women. Bánh mì is a popular and favorite dish, especially for people with low incomes, little time, and who like simplicity in eating. Vietnamese people can eat bánh mì from dawn until late at night.

The flexibility in using bánh mì also shows the creativity and diversity in Vietnamese cuisine. Vietnamese people not only “sandwiched” additional side dishes into the middle of the bánh mì to turn it into a nutritious, filling, and delicious meal but also “mix” many other ingredients into the bread dough like eggs, sugar, milk… to create flavor and color, even to “rescue surplus agricultural products’ like bánh mì thanh long (dragon fruit bread) of businessman Kao Siêu Lực (Vũ Hạnh Kim, 2020) during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, … Vietnamese transform the long French baguette into cute little petit pain bread, then into oval loaves that are easy to hold and eat. They produce hot that is only slightly larger than eggs, served with butter or cheese in the morning, but also create “big size” bánh mì like bánh mì cá sấu (crocodile-shaped bread) in An Giang Province (Duy Tân, 2020), causing anyone who comes to this province wants to enjoy it once.

Vietnamese people can eat bánh mì at a roadside inn, buy bánh mì from a bakery on the street to eat while walking, reading books, or surfing the web; or leisurely snack bánh mì with butter, salt, and pepper at a luxury restaurant while waiting for the main dish to be served.

Vietnamese bánh mì is the main dish and a “lead dish” to eat other dishes. For example, sliced or torn bánh mì is served with soup, curry, lagu, beef vermicelli, and steamed pork. The ways to eat bánh mì are also very diverse: Simple, there is bánh mì torn into small pieces, dipped with milk, sugar, or peanut butter for breakfast. For the sophisticated, there is bánh mì spread with cheese, cold meat, pâté, garlic butter, … grilled and crispy as appetizers at luxurious parties. Bánh mì is found in baskets held on the heads of late-night bread sellers and in baskets under the arms of women selling “snack meals” in Huế City at 2-3 pm. Bánh mì is available in bread carts along the streets, found in popular meals, the parties of death anniversaries in the countryside, and even in parties in luxurious places, … Bánh mì is both a popular dish and a luxury food, depending on the time, place, place, and depending on usage.

For many people, bánh mì is also a gift for children, grandchildren, and friends; it is an image of the past, an unforgettable childhood memory.

From a foreign dish, Vietnamese people have “restructured” and “localized” bánh mì many aspects: size, shape, ingredients, processing, presentation, and enjoyment, … turning bánh mì into a unique product of Vietnamese cuisine and culinary culture.

The exciting thing is that the “restructuring” and “localization” of bánh mì does not happen all at once, in one locality/region, or by a group of people, but is a longer process than one century, with the accidental and spontaneous participation of many communities from all parts of Vietnam. Therefore, the “cuisine of bánh mì” and “culture of bánh mì” in Vietnam are very diverse and rich in local identity. Thus, bánh mì can be considered a “heritage formed from the community,” a product of ‘interference, acculturation, and harmony in French-Vietnamese culinary culture,’ worthy of the “culinary heritage.” of Vietnam.

5. VIETNAMESE BÁNH MÌ IS POSITIONED ON THE WORLD CULINARY MAP

French baguette was introduced to Vietnam in the second half of the 19th century. More than 100 years later, loaves of Vietnamese bánh mì born from French baguette followed Vietnamese people to the world, and in turn, foreigners from all over the world came to Vietnam to enjoy Vietnamese bánh mì. Bánh mì has gone through an exciting journey when it “collided” with Vietnamese cuisine, was accepted, modified, enhanced by Vietnamese people, turned into its unique culinary product, and “pushed” out into the World for humanity to enjoy.

Today, Vietnamese bánh mì is present in many countries around the world where the Vietnamese community lives, most commonly in the United States, Australia, France, Eastern European countries, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and so on… Vietnamese bánh mì was also adopted by Laos and Cambodians, who then modified Vietnamese bánh mì in ເຂົ້ າ ຈີ່˜ (Laos language) and នំប ុ័ង (Khmer language) (https://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Bánh-_mỳ_Việt_Nam) to suit their style and culinary habits.

Nowadays, Vietnamese bánh mì has its name on the global culinary map, positioned as one of the most delicious street foods in the world, honored by many newspapers, television stations, and prominent writers in the culinary field worldwide.[2].

Bánh mì plays a vital role in Vietnamese cuisine and culture, an indispensable part of daily Vietnamese cuisine. Bánh mì is not simply a dish, a rich source of nutrition, but also a symbol of the development and progress of Vietnamese society over the past 150 years.

Integrating bánh mì into Vietnamese cuisine is not simply importing a dish from another culture but also a new combination and creativity to turn a foreign dish into a specialty indigenous culinary product. Bánh mì is a symbol of cultural interference, demonstrating the flexibility and creativity in Vietnamese cuisine.

Perhaps, after phở, bánh mì is the dish Vietnamese people have localized, inherited, and internationalized most successfully.

NOTES:

[1] “By 1910, small baguettes, also known as ‘petit pain is sold on the street and Vietnamese people often buy it on the way to work for breakfast,” said Erica J. Peters, a food writer and author of the book Taste and Ambition in Vietnam. Cited by Minh Tự, Op.cit., Accessed April 16, 2024.

[2] See the following articles:

– Goode, JJ, The world’s best street food. https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna25921024. August 12, 2008.

– Fodor’s, Contributor, 20 Must-Try Street Foods Around the World. www.huffpost.com/entry/20-must-try-street- foods_b_6431872/amp. January 7, 2015 (updated March 9, 2015).

– Ashraf, Syjil, 35 Iconic Street Foods Every World Traveler Must Try. The Daily Meal. May 6, 2019.

– Ward, Terry, 24 of the world’s best sandwiches. CNN, April 20, 2023.

– Packham, Alfie, “Best sandwich in the world!” Nine rolls, hoagies and sarnies worth crossing oceans for -picked by readers. The Guardian. November 10, 2023.

– Richard, Johnson, The world’s best street food, The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/…/worlds-best-street-food…. February 24, 2012.

– 100 Best Dishes in the World. Taste Atlas; https://www.tasteatlas.com/best-rated-sandwiches-in-the…. Jan 21, 2024 (updated April 15, 2024).

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