Crispy like bread

Tourists sample various types of bread at the Bread Festival in Ho Chi Minh City.

At the beginning of Nguyen Thai Hoc Street (Cau Ong Lanh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City), at the foot of Ong Lanh Bridge, there's a bread shop next to a pub. That afternoon, while queuing behind a long line of cars waiting at a red light, I looked across the street and saw three foreigners sitting and eating bread. The roadside bread shop had proper tables and chairs. Customers sat eating, chatting, and watching the passersby. In that moment, my heart suddenly ached, filled with longing and nostalgia!

For many, the cry of "Saigon bread..." still lingers in their memories. More than 20 years ago, I also heard this cry, but not in Ho Chi Minh City, but in Nghe An . It was a winter evening, when I was diligently studying in my rented room at the foot of Mount Quyet, when suddenly a cry rang out from the street: "Saigon bread, one thousand dong a loaf. Saigon bread, dense and fragrant with butter."

The monotonous call blared from a loudspeaker, making my stomach rumble, and I rushed to the gate. Seeing a customer, the man slowly lifted the burlap sack and offered me a loaf of bread. It was still warm from being kept warm. Just as I took the bread, the man and his rickety bicycle disappeared into the night, leaving only the lingering call echoing in the quiet darkness.

I stood watching the cart go by, feeling somewhat bewildered. Because, in my imagination at the time, "a loaf" would have to be a lot! It wasn't until much later, when I lived and worked in Ho Chi Minh City, that I learned that "a loaf," in the Southern dialect, simply meant one loaf of bread. That evening was also the first time I'd ever tasted bread, the first time I'd ever encountered such a delicious and unusual food.

Since 2023, Ho Chi Minh City has organized the Bread Festival at the Youth Cultural Center (4 Pham Ngoc Thach Street, Saigon Ward), later moving to Le Van Tam Park (Tan Dinh Ward), as an opportunity to honor and promote this signature dish of Vietnamese cuisine . Each event is packed with attendees, both Vietnamese and foreign.

Interestingly, the term "banh mi" was recognized in the Oxford English Dictionary in 2011. In subsequent years, banh mi has consistently been voted among the world's most beloved foods. Most recently, in November 2025, Vietnamese banh mi was again honored by CNN as one of the top 25 best sandwiches in the world. In this list, Vietnamese banh mi ranked second, further demonstrating the popularity of this humble dish.

Like many others, I have my own bread-eating habits; sometimes in the evening, I like to sit and sip coffee while tearing off pieces of bread to dip in the sauce. At those times, the taste of the past seems to creep back to my lips.

QUYNH YEN

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/gion-rum-nhu-the-banh-mi-post841719.html