Vietnamese cuisine is a very fusion-y cuisine, and it in some ways reminds me of all the food I get to have here in the US. The most fusion dish in Vietnamese culture is banh mi (aka Vietnamese sandwich). Almost everyone has had this yummy dish, but what most people don’t think about is how fusion-y this sandwich actually is. It’s actually half French. Pate and baguettes come from the French influence in Vietnam. I wanted to pay homage to this tradition by creating my own fusion-y sandwich.
In this version, there’s salami, ham, pate, hummus, red garlic sauce, soy sauce, arugula, tomatoes, and a dash of pepper. A little Italian influence. A little Mediterranean influence. Some Vietnamese influence. And some French influence. This sandwich, more than any other dish I’ve created, represents my experience living in the diverse communities I’ve lived in my whole life, and I love it! It’s also pretty darn good!
Why food like this is so important to me
This blog is not about politics or the mess that is our world sometimes, but I do think that food is a way to have conversations in an approachable way. After the shootings that happened the past weekend, I felt I needed to make something that reminded me of why our country is great. The humble sandwich came to mind. It’s something that people have almost every week if not every day. This sandwich recipe takes influences from various cultures in the US and combines it into 1 great dish. To me, this Vietnamese sandwich represents what makes the US great; all cultures coming together to create the American identity.
How this Vietnamese sandwich recipe was created
This recipe came about while I was visiting my aunt and uncle in Michigan. I was sitting around the house one day, and my uncle is like “Hey do you want some of this?” I said, “Ya sure!” As soon as I had it, I loved it and was like “What is this?! It’s amazing!” He said it was ham, lettuce, hummus, red garlic sauce, and pate. That combination blew my mind. Never in my dreams would I have thought pate and hummus would go together but they do! Trust me…just try it.
How is this recipe different from my other recipes
This recipe is different from my other recipes because I do not give you the measurements of each ingredient. I think the sandwich is a dish that you add as little or as much of each ingredient you want. You can also exclude any ingredients you wish. It should be YOUR sandwich.
Did you make this Vietnamese sandwich?
If you made this dish, I would love to see!
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Ham and Salami Vietnamese Sandwich
Ingredients
- 4 baguettes
- hummus
- pate
- red garlic sauce
- soy sauce
- salami
- ham
- arugula
- tomatoes
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Toast the baguettes.
- Spread the pate, hummus, soy sauce, and red garlic sauce on the bread. Add the salami, ham, arugula, tomatoes, and pepper to the sandwich.
- Enjoy!
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