Why we need to decolonise culinary favourites
It was just before Asian American and Pacific Islander month of May was about to kick off when a tweet popped into my feed that left me perplexed, ashamed and…hungry.
This was written by my friend, a PhD candidate, Vietnamese American that I am currently working on an audio documentary with called ‘The War Less Travelled’ exploring the intergenerational trauma of the war in Vietnam. Needless to say, she knows her stuff so I wouldn’t question the information behind this message but still found myself wondering-
How is a bánh mì sandwich not Vietnamese?
I had seen it on nearly every menu in the US where I would order Vietnamese food. When I lived in Queens it was a weekly staple in my take out menu merry go round. And the people who worked in the restaurant were asian — how could the food not be?
I’m going to put my hand up and say this is the exact point in the thought process where I realised I was going down a path of stereotyping and assumptions that would leave me still perplexed, even more ashamed, and still very hungry — but hungry for more information.
The bánh mì originated in Vietnam — by the French.
Vietnam, as I am learning has had a history of different countries occupying it. The documentary I am working on looks at the impact of the United States on the country but its past had it occupied for 1,000 years by China, Japan and the French. It literally translates to ‘bread’ and was introduced in the mid-nineteenth century by the French when they colonised Cochinchina.
A quick google search brings up this good overview article on the Bánh mì that ended my perplexity although not my shame —
For some, the bánh mì sandwich is just breakfast — cheap calories in a tidy little package. For others, it’s emblematic of the death of colonialism, the long overdue repudiation of horrific racism, bigotry and European arrogance. The Vietnamese were told not to change French dishes because they weren’t worthy of eating the same food as their masters — that they were an inferior people because of their simple rice and fish diet. From humble beginnings to global recognition, the history of the bánh mì sandwich is the history of modern Vietnam.
Doing a deep dive into understanding more about Vietnam for my documentary had me reading several books, listening to hours of podcasts, but never looking down at my plate. Had I before considered the culinary consequences colonialism could have still to this day?
The short answer: it never once crossed my mind.
With some humility and a little less hunger I learned the kind of bánh mì I am familiar with is an adapted recipe that originated in Saigon (or Ho Chi Min City) one the French left around 1954. It usually includes sour pickled daikon and carrot, crisp cilantro, spicy chilis, and a cool sliver of cucumber surrounding any number of protein options, from sweet minced pork to fatty pate to sardines in a baguette. Many people incorrectly assume the word bánh mì refers to the delicious and aromatic ingredients inside the bread so if there’s one thing you can get right from reading this it’s knowing what the word translates to — bread. Bread (specifically that style of baguette) did not exist in Vietnam before the French, so it is still important to keep in mind the symbol of the sandwich, what it can remind people of and what it represents — a time of occupation.
The real question after all I have learned — can I still eat a bánh mì?
Only slightly more informed, less ashamed, and still curious I found the courage to type out what I really wanted to know.
AND BREATHE OUT. The guilt and shame of my weekly consumption of a colonial oppressive cuisine began to fade away but the revelation of it stayed. It is not easy having these uncomfortable conversations over a dinner table or a digital platform but they are necessary. We can revise the history we know if we only allow ourselves to be honest, open, and willing. We also need to look at how we classify food as food is such a cultural part of people. Menus and history books need to change.
Not all food that originates in a country should be classified as such, and likewise the reverse for people — just because a person’s physical features resembles that of another country does not mean one should assume they are from that country.
I’m so grateful to have gone into the #AAPI month of May being reminded of how much more I still need to learn. I am still catching my missteps. But all this does seem to be working up my appetite, I may need to get myself a hoagie/sandwich and sign up as a #banhmiactivist in the process.
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Learn more about my audio documentary in production The War Less Travelled, listen to the trailer, and if you are able please donate to the post-production finishing costs. **No bánh mì included in a donation
