Vietnam’s banh mi, pho among world’s 60 must-try dishes

U.S. news site Business Insider has listed banh mi (Vietnamese baguette) and pho (noodle soup) in a list of 60 dishes to try at least once in a lifetime.

The American news site called Vietnamese banh mi “inexpensive staple.”

The Vietnamese baguette usually consists of cold cuts and vegetables such as coriander, cucumber, pickled carrots, and daikon, and condiments from French cuisine such as pate and mayonnaise.

Banh mi can be easily found everywhere in Vietnam from large metropolises to rural villages as it is not only a popular breakfast/lunch/dinner to local people, but also a beloved street food by many foreign visitors.

Business Insider recommended visitors to try banh mi at Huynh Hoa stall at 26 Le Thi Rieng street in Ho Chi Minh City where a loaf of banh mi costs over VND60,000 ($2.45).

Located near Ben Thanh Market, one of the most popular tourism symbols in the southern economic hub, the banh mi stall has been attracting large crowds everyday, with long queues of buyers. The stall is open until 10 p.m.

Pho noodle soup, considered a national dish, is also honored as the Business Insider urged tourists to “dive into a warm bowl of pho, a Vietnamese noodle soup with tons of flavor.”

The soup is traditionally served with chicken or beef broth where the bones simmer lazily for at least three hours until the broth is perfect.

A bowl of pho in HCMC and Hanoi costs from VND30,000 to 50,000 ($1.32-2.2).

Though the noodle soup is now ubiquitous throughout Vietnam, it has only been around little over a century. Pho was developed in the north of the country during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, influenced by Chinese traders but also by French colonisers, who popularised the consumption of beef.

The pho obsession spread to the south in the 1950s, when the country was divided and millions of northern Vietnamese migrated south, bringing their soup recipe with them.

The Business Insider compiled a list of the most famous foods from around the world in order to determine the top 60 dishes everyone should try at least once in their lifetime

Other dishes in the list were Japan’s sushi, China’s pecking duck, South Korea’s bibimbap, Italy’s pizza and Spain’s crispy churros dipped in warm chocolate sauce

Pho and banh mi have many times won praise from international tourism magazine and world-famous influencers, shaping the reputation of Vietnam’s cuisine on global map.

CNN earlier this month revealed its top 24 sandwiches in the world in 2023, with banh mi as Vietnam's representative.

CNBC last April named Vietnamese staples, pho and banh mi in a list of Southeast Asia's must try dishes and drinks, praising Vietnamese cuisine for "its fresh and vibrant flavors."

South Korean girl group bank Blackpink who arrived in Hanoi for their two-day performance tour last July also enjoyed pho and banh mi, showing their love to Vietnamese cuisine.