The visual guide 

Here are the components of bánh mì thịt (banh mi thit)(meat sandwich).

These are the varieties of bánh mì thịt (meat) fillings my mum makes:

• Grilled chicken breast (marinated with lemongrass, crushed pepper, garlic, shallots and sugar)
• Roast pork (marinated with spices)
• Chả lụa (Vietnamese ham) - serve with the slices of roast pork for an ultimate meat bánh mì.

I heard that bánh mì doner kebabs are popular in Hanoi, which sounds interesting but for now I'll be sticking to the classic meat fillings.

Bánh mì chay

A veggie option includes all the usual - cucumber, onion, pickled carrots etc. plus slabs of tofu and a spead of Laughing Cow Cheese (instead of the pate).

Preparing bánh mì

These are instructions for preparing a Vietnamese style baguette sandwich for busy people. I say 'instructions' and 'for busy people' as this is just a quick step-by-step of how to assemble bánh mì thịt; using ingredients that are available to buy in your local supermarket and which you might already have.

The preparation guides will give you an idea of the textures and flavours of bánh mì, it's a level 1 in terms of bánh mì making. The next levels such as making the baguette and the marinade recipes for the meat fillings will be looked at another time. For now I hope you enjoy this little taster...

Stage 1: Preparing the ingredients