banh mi

or bánh mì

[ bahn mee ]

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of banh mi¹

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

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

Vietnamese food is so much more than just pho and banh mi.

From Seattle Times

With just to-go service and a little sidewalk seating on nice days, this Georgetown spot is tiny but mighty, with an educationally excellent website and one of the city’s best banh mis.

From Seattle Times

To make a living, many refugees opened hole-in-the-wall pho and banh mi counters in cheaper-rent neighborhoods around Seattle.

From Seattle Times

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