The Cultural Significance of the Delicious Bánh Mì

Usually, people grab them while still sitting on their motorbikes, but sometimes you can enjoy them on a small plastic stool on the sidewalk.

Is this food connected to the local environment? How?:

In Vietnam, food is very connected to the local environment. For example, the bánh mì alone varies greatly between the southern (where I live), central, and northern regions. In the north, bánh mìs are more meat heavy, while in the central region they are often spicier, and in the south bánh mìs tend to have more fresh herbs and vegetables. Food here is very local so people eat what is in season and can be grown within the country. (Though I can still find my favorite goldfish when I find myself missing food from home.) 

Living in the south also means I get to enjoy the benefits of a tropical climate and I can eat delicious tropical fruits like lychee, dragon fruits, and coconuts almost every day. Because people eat what grows nearby, it also means that you can only get foods when they are in season. For example, right now it is almost mangosteen and lychee season which I’m very excited about as these fruits have not been in season since I first moved to Vietnam.

Location:
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Location Data:
POINT (106.6296638 10.8230989)

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