banh mi

American  

[bahn mee] / ˈbɑn mi /

Or bánh mì

noun

1. a Vietnamese sandwich on a crisp baguette spread with mayonnaise, typically containing pork or chicken and pâté, with pickled vegetables, cucumber, and cilantro.

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Etymology

Origin of banh mi

First recorded in 1985–90; from Vietnamese bánh mì “bread, baguette,” equivalent to bánh “any food made from flour; bread; cake” + mì “wheat, noodles”

Example Sentences

The menu is packed with Vietnamese classics, from banh mi to pho, alongside many other dishes.

From Salon • Oct. 31, 2025

In your book, I love the "architecture of the banh mi" section, as well as some of the other super-detailed step-by-step visual breakdown pages.

From Salon • Oct. 28, 2024

After a head-to-head sandwich smackdown, our food writer calls it a tie: You can’t go wrong with either of these West Seattle banh mi shops.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 28, 2024

Inside, grime music blasts as a pop-up vendor doles out vegan banh mi to shoppers who clutch bamboo toilet paper and vegan lox.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2024

“Growing up in Australia, I was a sucker for a good sanger,” said Duncan Lu, the Vietnamese Australian founder of the Melbourne banh mi chain Master Roll, who grew up in Adelaide.

From New York Times • Apr. 5, 2024