banh mi

noun

ˈbän-ˈmē 

plural banh mi also banh mis

: a usually spicy sandwich in Vietnamese cuisine consisting of a split baguette filled typically with meat (such as pork or chicken) and pickled vegetables (such as carrot and daikon) and garnished with cilantro and often cucumbers

Here we have the original banh mi—a reliable favourite on a classic crusty baguette. Cold cut-style pork belly, chicken liver pâté (you can sub in avocado if that's more your thing), and soy-based Vietnamese sausage are finished with pickled carrots and daikon … , cucumbers, cilantro, aïoli and special sauce.

—Liza Agrba

In Queen Anne, the Vietnamese coffee shop Queen Càphê serves banh mis and spring rolls.

—Tan Vinh

Examples of banh mi in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Don't miss their daily social hour from 5 to 6:30 p.m. for deals on bites like banh mi tacos and spicy pork fries, plus $7 cocktails. —Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025

Em in Little Saigon for its salmon banh mi; relax at Good Society brewery's Queen Anne taproom; and browse the city's various public library branches. —Melissa Santos, Axios, 18 Apr. 2025

Dressed with a fresh and spicy slaw that’s a staple on Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches, this next-level hotdog is the perfect recipe for easy summer entertaining. —Josh Miller, Southern Living, 13 June 2025

Forty-five people in 18 states recently contracted salmonella in an outbreak linked to cucumbers from Bedner Growers in Palm Beach County, setting off a widespread recall that has affected everything from California rolls sold at Target to banh mi sandwiches served at a North Carolina high school. —Suzy Khimm, NBC news, 7 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Vietnamese bánh mì, literally, "bread, baguette," from bánh "cake, pastry" + mì "wheat"

First Known Use

1985, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for banh mi

• agree
• allee
• banshee
• beastly
• bibi
• bowsprit
• carefree
• cerci
• chablis
• cowpea
• crappie
• crappy