yummerooooo!!!: BÁNH MÌ ME!!!

The ethnic food scene around the nation continues to grow. From Smalltown USA to the more worldly cities of New York, Chicago, and San Francisco, avid eaters are now able to find a food-niche that caters especially to them: sweet and savory desserts a la Western Europe, chicken tikkas and marsalas from India, tea leaf salads from Burma (Myanmar), hearty saltenas from El Salvador, and the good ol' burger and fries - an American institution. In a bustling nation like the USA, there is always a search for the foodie world's newest sweetheart.

In the past couple of decades or so, Vietnamese cuisine has received national (and worldwide) acclaim for being one of the Asian food world's best. Like it's sister palates, the Viet palate is one that creates a fusion of salty and sweet, spicy and mild, and flavors that simply pop. Vietnam is the only country in "Indochina" that does not have an implicit "Indian" influence on food. Rather, Cantonese influence is quite apparent. And adding a delicate twist to the Viet palate: the French. Vietnamese cuisine is undoubtedly Southeast Asian, with food markets boasting pretty much the same items you'd find in markets in Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, and The Philippines. But while the Spanish brought their spices to The Philippines, and the Dutch created rijsttafel in Indonesia, the French were busy bringing their delicate desserts and bakery items to Vietnam -- which is quite apparent in one of Vietnam's most favorite food-sons (or daughters), bánh mì.

Rivaling its soupy-sibling, pho, in popularity in the U.S. and abroad, bánh mì is a worthy piece of food-art. It roughly translates to "biscuit (bánh) and flour (mì) cake," and it's main component is a Vietnamese baguette - which forms the basis of the sandwich. It is generally filled with julienne-style vegetables like cucumbers, pickled carrots, and do chua (daikon), along with cilantro, chili peppers, and various meat fillings, pâté, or tofu. The baguette is then smeared with mayonnaise, and served.

The sandwich stems from the "salad sandwich" that is a common food item found in the French countryside. The original version is comprised of tomatoes, lettuce, and other vegetables - similar to a typical American sandwich. But the Vietnamese version fuses the French sandwich with ingredients native to the former French colony. Fish sauce, which is widely used in Southeast Asian cuisine, is also a popular ingredient, as are pork belly, pork skin, and Vietnamese "cold cuts."

Popular sandwiches include bánh mì xíu mai (pork meatball), bánh mì gá (chicken), and bánh mì thit nuóng (grilled pork). Popular bánh mì outlets around the world include: Bánhmì11 in London, Cô Cô bánh mì deli in Berlin, Song Que Vietnamese deli in Falls Church, VA, and the Nom Nom Truck of Los Angeles --made famous by The Food Network's reality show: The Great Food Truck Race.