Vietnamese Bánh Mì (Vietnamese Bread) has once again been honored by CNN, finding its place in the list of the world’s 25 most delicious sandwiches – a testament to the global appeal of this iconic street food.
On November 15 2025, CNN Travel published a fresh list of the world’s top 25 sandwiches, ranking Vietnamese Banh Mi in second place. The article highlights how the baguette-style bread, a culinary legacy from the French colonial era, has been uniquely adapted by the Vietnamese over time.
Banh Mi stalls line nearly every street corner in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and elsewhere – and the sandwich’s popularity now extends well beyond Vietnam’s borders. The traditional version typically includes pork, cha lua (Vietnamese pork loaf), pickled carrots and daikon, fresh herbs, sauces, and a crispy, fresh baguette. These flavors – salty, sweet, tangy – combine in an addictive way.
There are also many regional and creative variations, from vegetarian to chicken lemongrass versions.
Although the baguette was introduced by the French over a century ago, the Vietnamese transformed it into their own: thinner crust, soft and airy inside, adapted to local tastes and limited baking resources. The true distinction of Vietnamese Banh Mi lies in its fillings, which vary greatly from region to region – cold cuts, fish cakes, meatballs, fried pork belly, shredded chicken, and more.
This is not the first time Banh Mi has received international acclaim. In 2024, TasteAtlas ranked Vietnamese bánh mì as the number-one sandwich in their “100 Best Sandwiches in the World” list. On top of that, TasteAtlas also recognized it among the 50 top street foods in Asia, underlining its strong appeal.
The global recognition of bánh mì goes even further back: on March 24, 2011, “Banh Mi” was officially added to the Oxford English Dictionary, defined as a Vietnamese sandwich typically made with baguette, filled with various ingredients like meats, pickled vegetables, and chili. Cambridge’s dictionary similarly defines Banh Mi as a long sandwich popular in Vietnam.
In New York, a Vietnamese Banh Mi shop (Bánh Anh Em) reportedly sells more than 2,000 sandwiches a week, with customers lining up for hours. In Hong Kong, a Vietnamese Banh Mi store called Nếm earned recognition from the Michelin Guide just one year after opening.