Excited
One of my fondest memories of coaching The Daughter’s volleyball team was at a long tournament where we had a potluck lunch of tasty Filipino and Vietnamese food (the team was mostly Asian). Not just standard fare like lumpia but other stuff like ukoy, pate chaud, and bánh mì! Some of the other teams at the tournament looked at us funny. I figured that they were probably were either jealous, hungry, or both.
For those who don’t know, bánh mì is a Vietnamese sandwich. It blends elements of French food, such as a baguette and pate, with different kinds of pork, sliced peppers, and vegetables. I love bánh mì, especially how it is typically served on freshly baked bread. I am definitely not the only fan – check out http://battleofthebanhmi.com/, a web site dedicated toward these wonderful sandwiches.
This article from the New York Times talks about how bánh mì has evolved in the US and incorporated popular local elements such as kielbasa in New York and po boy baguettes in Louisiana. A notable quote about some of the New York creations, in particular a phở flavored bánh mì:
“I could never get away with this in San Jose,” said Mr. Hua, referring to the city with a large Vietnamese-American community in Northern California, where he grew up. “New York has a history of being open to creative ideas.
This San Jose resident can’t agree. Bánh mì is at its core a fusion, and there are what seems to be a growing number of fusion Vietnamese restaurants in San Jose and the Bay Area.
An underlying question to this discussion is authenticity – how much can something Asian be changed and still be considered to be Asian? What is a fascinating fusion and what is unrecognizable bastardization of the original? For me, as long as a sandwich keeps the freshly baked bread and the Vietnamese vegetables and herbs, it is still bánh mì.
(Hat tip: Tim ; photo credit: kennymatic)
How does this post make you feel?
- Fascinated
- Amused
- Bored
- Sad
- Angry
NOTE: 8Asians.com is a community, and we thank you for being a part of it. While we welcome and appreciate differences in opinion, if you're rude or you're promoting spam, we have a right to edit or delete your comment. Read our comment policy for more information.
If you see a comment that violates the 8Asians.com comment policy, you may flag the comment by mousing over the comment and clicking "FLAG."
I had my first one in Hayward last month -- delicious! Now we'll have to go to San Jose...
I had my first one in Hayward last month -- delicious! Now we'll have to go to San Jose...
Trackbacks
Custom Search
Recent Posts
- Is Kim Jong Un Dead? Assassination Rumors Hit the Internet
- Help Fight Stereoptypes With Asian Crew Clothing
- Deftones’ Chi Cheng Wakes Up From His 3-Year Coma
- SXSW 2012 Has a Nice Handful of Asian Movies
- Woman In China Gives Birth To 15 Lb Baby
- Naruto & Dragonball Now Available On Barnes & Noble Nook
- Kisai Rogue KR2 LED Watch
Recent Comments
- : Good luck! Hope things work out. – Behind The Scenes With Team Janet & A Call To Help Janet Find Her Match
- : I think due to the political sensitivities and how prominent many Chinese have become involved in American institutions (and in several ways, vice versa), Pete... – Pete Hoekstra's Offensive Anti-Asian Super Bowl Ad
- : @itzagudwun I was going to drop the discussion but let me ask you a question. What exactly am I stereotyping about Asian parents? Is is... – What if Jeremy Lin Weren't Asian?
- : Great article again, Tim. I'm actually very surprised in hearing the findings. I knew that Asian Americans were less likely to carry credit card debt... – Asian Americans Have Mixed Results In Retirement Study
- : Rock-on, Steven. Judging from the segment, I find this female host to be less of an attention-whore than Olivia Munn. Moar female hosts like this,... – Steven Yeun Talks About The Walking Dead Season 2.5 & Tries A Bacon Milkshake
APA Events
Feb 16: Adam WarRock and Kirby Krackle: West Cost Tour Dates!!!
Feb 16: (New York, NY) Amar Chitra Katha: Monica Ferrell, Chitra Ganesh, Keshni Kashyap, and Himanshu “Heems” Suri of Das Racist
Feb 17: (Los Angeles, CA) All My Sons
Feb 18: (Stanford, CA) Stanford’s 16th Listen to the Silence Conference- Feb 18: (San Francisco, CA) NAAAP-SF Lunar New Year Gala 2012
Feb 25: (Los Angeles, CA) Past Present I Future Imperatives: Queer Space Time
Mar 3: (New York, NY) Vong Pak’s ‘Electric Shaman’ Concert
Apr 30: (Sacramento, CA) California Asian Pacific Islander Policy Summit 2012: iAdvocate
Staff and Contributors
- Editors
- Ernie Hsiung - Founder, Editor-in-Chief
- Moye Ishimoto - Co-Editor, Editorial
- Joz Wang - Co-Editor, PR & APA Outreach
[...] find it engaging to look at how food from Asia and other parts of the world influence and are transformed here in the United States. What other sauces could have a similar popularity as ketchup? While Americans, on average, are [...]
[...] his discussion of the influence of the Vietnamese diaspora, Andrew Lam mentions banh mi along with pho as an Asian food item that is becoming mainstream. For those of you don’t [...]