Many domestic and international businesses will participate in the third Vietnam Bánh Mì Festival 2025, including an American partner who aims to introduce the popular Vietnamese variety of sandwiches in the U.S. and will soon organize the festival internationally.

Nguyen Thi Khanh, president of the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Association, shared this information during the press conference for the third Vietnam Bánh Mì Festival 2025, held in Ho Chi Minh City on Tuesday.

The festival will run for four days, from March 21 to 24, at Le Van Tam Park in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.

As of March 24, banh mi will have been included in the Oxford Dictionary for 14 years. 

Key activities of the third Vietnam Bánh Mì Festival 2025 include cultural exchange spaces, culinary experiences, an exhibition showcasing the history of banh mi, a grand banh mi feast, and a record-setting event featuring 100 dishes served with banh mi. 

According to Khanh, the festival will have between 150 and 180 booths and is expected to attract over 150,000 domestic and international visitors.

Regarding international participation, Khanh mentioned that an American partner is eager to introduce banh mi in the U.S..

“In the near future, in an appropriate context, a banh mi festival will be hosted in the U.S.," Khanh said.

“Our responsibility is to bring Vietnam’s banh mi to the world, with the event slated for next September.”

Additionally, the Sydney Tourism Association from Australia will send a delegation of 18 businesses to partake in the third Vietnam Bánh Mì Festival 2025.

Khanh is confident that after two successful editions in 2023 and 2024, the Vietnam Bánh Mì Festival has significantly raised its profile and expanded its reach. 

This year, the festival aims to be even more widespread, drawing in more tourists for an immersive experience.

Food safety is a top priority for the event. 

Khanh emphasized that all participating units must have food safety certifications; otherwise, their booth registration will not be accepted.

A unique variety of sandwiches

Banh mi is a Vietnamese sandwich made from a short baguette, filled with meat, vegetables, and herbs.

The culinary website TasteAtlas ranked Vietnamese banh mi first on its list of the 100 best sandwiches in the world in 2024.

At Tuesday’s press conference, Kao Sieu Luc, general director of Asia Bakery – Confectionery JSC, highlighted the unique qualities of Vietnam’s banh mi. 

“The term ‘bakes’ doesn’t quite capture it, as it typically refers to something hard and crispy,” Luc pointed out. 

“Vietnam’s banh mi is crispy on the outside, yet soft and spongy inside, making it easy to eat and swallow. 

“Countries around the world love it, with Vietnamese banh mi now found in many countries like the UK, the U.S., Germany, and Singapore. 

“I have a student who successfully launched a Vietnamese banh mi chain overseas.”

Pham Son Vuong, chairman of the Saigon Professional Chefs’ Guild, pointed out that while other countries simply offer sandwiches with fillings, Vietnam continuously innovates new banh mi products every year, using traditional fillings to compete internationally and garner praise.

“This is a crucial step in establishing Vietnamese banh mi, and Vietnamese cuisine in general, on the world stage,” Vuong emphasized.

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