This morning on The Today Show, Sandwich Guru Adam Richman from The Travel Channel’s “The Best Sandwich in America” showed us some great Asian flavors. The show, although it sounds like a culinary competition or judicial proceeding, is more of a celebration of what Americans have come to claim as their own: sandwich culture!
image courtesy of travelchannel.com
Unfortunately, the sandwich “expert ” proved to be less of a source of information (he said that Tuong Ot Sriracha is from Thailand. Actually, it’s from California, but inspired by Thai & Vietnamese cuisine. Just because there’s a village called Sriracha in Thailand, he assumes!) and more of a fat guy who has a panache for good-tasting foods.
On a lighter side, the program discussed one of my favorite sandwiches of all time, the Banh Mi. Born of Franco-Vietnamese cuisine, the sandwich is the embodiment of East-West cultural marriage at its best.
image courtesy of Seattlest.com
The Banh Mi is essentially a French Baguette stuffed with thinly sliced pork, cucumbers, carrots and raw jalepenos. Many of the pates, sauces and extras are optional. I was originally introduced to the Banh Mi at a take-out hut called “Banh Mi Ba Le” in Oklahoma City’s Asia District. There, strikingly authentic Saigon Baguettes (Banh Mi sandwiches” are whipped up in a matter of minutes and at the time, they were only $2/pc!!! That wasn’t too long ago either. If you’re in the area, which you’re likely not, swing by @ 2426 N Classen Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK 73106. Check out my next blog in which I show you a Banh Mi sandwiched “unstacked”, making it an easy-to-replicate recipe.
eclecticspot 