HCM City (VNA) – “I love Banh mi SaiGon” (I love Saigon bread) programme is taking place in Ho Chi Minh City fromMarch 24 to 31.

The week-long event is part of the activities tocelebrate “banh mi” (popular Vietnamese street food) on the ninth anniversaryof its admission into the Oxford English Dictionary.

It is also among a series of activities in theculinary tourism campaign launched by the municipal Department of Tourism.

The department coordinated with musician NguyenHai Phong and Brandbeats Music Agency to create a music clip “I love Banh miSai Gon”.

An animated image of Vietnam’s “banh mi” (bread)was featured on Google’s homepage on March 24.

Google’s move has contributed to promotingVietnam's special snack to the world.

The name banh mi /ˈbɑːn miː/ is one ofthree Vietnamese words in the Oxford English dictionary, together with pho /fə ː/ and ao dai /ˈaʊ ˌdʌɪ/, proving its fame and popularity.

The first baguette in Vietnam dates back 130years to the time when France colonised the country between the 1880s and 1954.The French usually cut it into small sections to serve with soup, curry orbutter.

In 1970, wood-fired ovens were converted intolarger brick kilns to bake in bulk, which gave the bread its Vietnameseidentity.

From then on Vietnamese chefs began makingvariations. Instead of putting butter or jam on bread, they layered it withbacon, making it delicious and more convenient.

Banh mi has been developed across Vietnam. Theflavours of the modern “banh mi” vary by region in Vietnam. In Hanoi inthe north, the fillings are more simple than the “original” found in Ho ChiMinh City in the south, and include high-quality cold cuts. In the centralcoastal city of Hoi An, the meat used is served warm.

Vietnamese “banh mi” is present in countrieswhere Vietnamese people live because it is easy to make and source ingredients.

It was ranked second in a story run bythe Guardian about the World's Best Street Foods.

David Farley, a BBCwriter specializing in travel and cuisine, praised “banh mi” as"the best sandwich in the world".

Meanwhile, late chef Anthony Bourdain, one ofthe most influential culinary experts in the world, complimented banh mi in his“No Reservation” programme on CNN./.