The Story of Baan Mhi - The Vietnamese Roll

 The Story of Baan Mhi - The Vietnamese Roll

France brought all manner of new and exotic items to Vietnam during its colonization of the region, from beer to bread, carrots to coffee, but didn’t hand them over willingly. The story of how the modern banh mi came together, the sort of banh mi you can pick up today at a farmers’ market in London, or from a food truck in Los Angeles, recounts 160 years of Vietnam’s history in one single, fiery package.

In unison, the visitors bite down into the bread’s fragile outer shell. A few fire off selfies as the customary explosion of crumbs covers the table. This is how all banh mi experiences begin. The bread gives way to the paté, then homemade mayonnaise, tender ham and cold cuts of pork. Pickled carrot and daikon add sweetness, cucumber brings a cool crunch. Cilantro. Unmistakable. A dash of Maggi Sauce for depth. Every taste bud gets hit. Then comes the chili, like a short, sharp slap in the face. “Wake up sunshine,” it says. “You’re in Vietnam now.”

My experiences are pre Vietnam, during Vietnam and Post Vietnam…

I must have seen the sandwich an umpteen times with Anthony Bourdain and many other food and travel shows a decade and a half ago… I dreamt of it I had to have it … Somehow in 2011 I got to taste a proper Banh Mi.. so they said at  Blue Ginger at Taj Palace .. left me a little underwhelmed.. and yes the family wasn’t impressed either..

The search was on the next opportunity was a hole in the wall Little Saigon - HauzKhas Khas Market, where I went with a dear friend.. nice food , summer rolls and Pho too but the the real Banh Mi was still elusive..circa 2018-19

Yet another adventure to the Vietnamese embassy with the dear friend again,which allowed guests for lunch on Friday at the Embassy Canteen..the food was literally grabbed from the kitchen by me as they had run out.. the drinks and beer from the fridge.. lots of summer rolls, Pho and beer and fried chicken.. but no Banh mi circa 2021-22

Cut to 2024

On my first time in Nam though I had visited it so many times before on Bourdain’s shows (he was biased to Vietnam and Vietnamese food), with Apocalypse Now, Platoon, Forrest Gump… Deerhunter I had been to Vietnam several times 

In the summer of 2024 me and now not so little An (Ananya) landed late night at Ho Chih Minh City earlier known as Saigon we stayed at the Heritage property Hotel Majestic.. a fine blend of South East Asian and Parisian best defined…by the idiom Indochine…

After a late night dinner of pho and Saigon beer interspersed by 333 all light beers of Vietnam.. went to bed to welcomed by the most heartfelt heartwarming and beautiful Banh Mi for breakfast at the Hotel… the pate, the buttery goodness dribbling everyday in my chin and tshirt.. the goodness moved the earth for me ..I feasted on Banh mi for breakfast … absolutely the best ever…

Back in India… the last two years have seen the swarming of so called gourmet sandwich shops all over India/ Delhi/ ofcourse the Mecca and epicenter of almost every cuisine available in India… GK2 

I heard and watched, Pete’s Deli, Kona, Dumbo, Savage..I had to go to one of them … I had to go to Kona by the people who own Fig & Maple… the reason clearly.. they serve the Banh Mi and Vietnamese Coffee… I was conned the only thing right this time was the baguette, everything was wrong, the meat was hard chunks of curried pork.. no salads no sauces and atrocious over priced Vietnamese coffee and Banh mi absolute disappointment…. Which poor Ananya paid for… now makes me want to go Vietnam or close enough.. again and soon…

What’s your Sandwich Story ….

Hand Churned Ice Cream Anyone…

 Once during the summer holidays.. visiting Delhi as a young boy .. visited my Paternal Aunt .. in Pratap Bagh near Delhi University..

Her son who later was ordained to become a granthi (priest) in a gurudwara .

He was then an unemployed youth and he had set up an ice cream stall/ shop in the market .

So all afternoon on a summer day we toiled in churning ice cream out of fresh cream,  milk, fresh fruit, tutti-frutti and cherries to make this wonderful ice cream ..

Then loaded it to to the market and vended them all evening and late into the night ... with nothing to eat or drink and counting our earnings and feeling good about it ..

Many  lessons learnt in enterprise, hard labor, rewards in selling the fruits of your labor at a very young age .. besides memories are invaluable..

The ice cream looked something like this .. and we sold it for a one Rupee each ... it’s long but I can still taste a hint of salt in our hand churned ice cream

A Day in the life of an unknown Indian

 Interesting life…Dealing and interacting with all 

Its nearly dawn… I hear the birds for nearly and a half and finally wake up to a dry mouth and  a few deep breaths and a sip of water…A few responses on Whatssap some interaction 

1.Interactions with Mom early morning 

Early banter over toilet and tea

2. Servants and Maid … Chet over menu for the day etc

3. ⁠Gurudwara interactions and smiles with devotees, staff, Bhaiji , the lady at the donation counter who is praying… pauses does a Sat Sri Akal.. a hint of a smile resumes prayers pauses again to give a receipt, smiles just a hint and again a Sat Sri Akal that’s all, you could call it a acquaintance..

4. ⁠Breathing excercises and Pranayama and tapping with Mom…

5. ⁠Quick dress up and then the bullying in the football field where players come from every strata and profession, banker, master, music teacher, dress designer, cab  fleet owner, caterer, politico, political fixer, analyst, Hr, wheeler dealer, priest and Carol singer … and me with all of them the variety is endless and so is the conversation..

6. Dress for College and Breakfast… where the balance usually breaks taste over benefits… food packed for college 

7. Prayers in the car brief interaction with Driver his life neighborhood and general cars update and ofcourse shopping list for the day and special tasks of the day. He’s my go to man my man Friday

8. A cheerful good morning to the CRPF security staff at the metro station before that a nod a good morning to the vendors outside the station..

9. ⁠The metro, largely get a senior citizen seat unless there is some who needs it more than me senior or otherwise, largely immerse in prayers with a call or two in between.. with poor connectivity …. A social pause 

10. ⁠I emerge at Model town a good 40 kms away from home from underground to overground… check messages stocks and some urgent tasks and payments and I haven’t reached work yet…

11. At College more prayers at the Ganesha idol… my banter with the receptionist and his weekend escapades… he and his new wife visited a Greek restaurant on the highway, watched the IPL , prepared for higher studies…

12. ⁠Now the pantry and the waiter,  he readies a cold glass of water for a throat rinse and a black coffee for my liver rinse and probably soon some day a promising jaw line.

13. The day rushes by interspersed with classes corrections, corridor walks and newspaper reading… 

14. ⁠The staff room it’s conversations and people and their peculiarities should be left for another day and post.

15. ⁠The journey home is largely uneventful… other than a Pitstop at the popcorn and peanuts stall where a handful of peanuts are for ₹ 10 the only place that currently gives some thing for ten other than perhaps a Cadbury’s Gems or a Lollipop or some chewing gum..

16. ⁠Home is a quick snack change and rest and sometimes a walk with the mystic clerk cleric and multilingual and deeply read Mr Bhargav he is in his 80s we discuss his afternoon Hollywood movie and his latest gourmet treat.. and I share mine… it’s friendly banter despite the age difference 

17. ⁠A catch up on the phone with dear daughter and some home  errands ..and its time for a unwind… sometimes a movie or an episode of the latest series .. but lately business news snd geopolitical news ..caring for my loved  ones and ofcourse assets and investments 

18. ⁠Most nights a quiet dinner with Mom conversation her health and her trials and tribulations..Once in a while we have drink or two in memory of Dad , she has a Gimlet with Soda and me with a Whisky Soda.. in the recent times 

19. ⁠This is most what days look like when I am not going out or having a drink… or both and for that please refer to my social media which love kicking and quite a thing especially with food dmd my relationship with it..

20. ⁠It’s  the still of the night when I drift into a quiet and intermittent stupor dreaming sometimes of known face sometimes unknown faces and places…. Sometimes sequential sometimes disjointed and sometimes a loop I can’t get out of…

21. ⁠That’s pretty much a day unless I am focusing on the Consulting business where I wear many hats of a mentor a guide a beacon and sometimes it’s back to soft selling.. throughout voice internet and phones..

22. ⁠More on form and feelings and emotions…. In the days of my life … I’d like to know what your day feels like like…

Memories of my Dad with a Biscuits Brand

 My evening snack has tons of History for me and my family and of the brand…firstly Cheeseling first introduced to us by my Dad in the late 60s or early 70s… I am sure he knew of it before..

He had it as a teatime light snack or even with a drink which was usually a whisky…I think it worked wit both and still does.

Light was the key word it still is. Dad in his later years continued to like it … and had it due to lightness and did sit heavy on the stomach.

He introduced it to us … a few days ago I thought of him and chased to order it through our man Friday at the local Kiran’s store.. out of stock everywhere… finally ordered it online…

Don’t know lots of brands aren’t available in the stores and  available online..and for some brands vice versa…

1. Perhaps starve the stores and urge customers to go online 

2. ⁠Have separate set of merchandise for offline and and online 

Enough of our family and it’s history with Cheeselings now for the real History 

The origins of Cheeselings trace back to 1956, when they were introduced by the Parle Products company in India 

Parle Products

While often compared to Western cheese crackers, Cheeselings are officially classified as a "peculiar indigenous preparation" and an Indian namkeen 

Historical Timeline

1929: The Parle Products factory was founded by the Chauhan family in Vile Parle, Mumbai, initially producing confectionery 

1942: Parle launched Monaco, India's first salted cracker, which laid the brand foundation for future savory snacks 

1956: Cheeselings were officially launched as a new way for Indian consumers to enjoy cheese

Although the name sounds international, Cheeselings are considered uniquely Indian. 

Childhood Staple: Over the decades, Cheeselings became a nostalgic staple in Indian households, often served during tea time or packed in school tiffins

Etymology: The name likely follows the naming convention of adding "-ling" to denote something small or a derivative, similar to how "duckling" is a small duck.

Beverages unite us and Divide us

 Beverages are a generational thing … there are some beverages popular with a certain segment of people both demographically and psychographically… .

Beverages are also a brand extension of one’s personality and it’s also important to be instagramable to qualify as a good beverage..

A good example is yesterday’s coffee is today’s macha. 

Rustic beverages aren’t cool and fashionable but for the artistic and Indian Ocean Band inclined Kulhad Chai has made such a comeback and a rage as tandoori chai…

Nimboo Pani, Satu, Bael Sherbet, Thandai etc our ethnic powerhouse are great at , at home consumption but seldom ordered by a select generational group out of home.

The new coffee and Korean, Japaneseand other Asian Beverage Bar are cool hangouts.. often referred to as to as the third place ( between home and work/institute)

Quite similar to clubs were for the boxwallahs and Chai addaas and Choupals and Halwais and Coffee Homes were in the good old days..

It was more about the place people and conversations than the beverage 

However, in Pubs and bars it was also the beverage..

However, todays generation bury themselves into themselves even in a social hangout place unless with company… 

The more we evolve more similar we continue to be …

Bars & Warfare today

 On a very quiet night at a very quiet bar on the Western Front… Signalman Manohar educated me on Godawan 01 and 02 .. At the Electronic Warfare Mess. Yes, on another note warfare and the ethos of the defence services have changed so much in the the last three wars…I question do we need such large standing armies… as battle lines and warfare has changed so much

Do we really need 

thousands of of tanks

millions in the infantry 

large gunships

5 th and 6th generation fighter aircraft 

While the job can be by missile or a drone which are much much cheaper adroitly and effectively…

 More of this and the future of warfare and the decline of the Institution of The Officers Mess….

More coming up soon…

Life’s Doorbell Has to be answered

 The Tourist and even the The Purist will have to go through this life… largely alone…. Some legs of the journey there will be companions and some none … there will be places of rest food and play … and some will be work work and more work… some will live free … and some imprisoned in their own thought… there will be phases of good health and some  phases will bring ill health… some phases of scarcity and some of wealth…. 

Some will grow spiritual and then turn agnostic and become non believers and believers again… some parts will modify your faith… bring in new trust new…. Friends and then No friends…. Some friends…. Lots of friends…

Sometimes very little to do … sometimes so much to do and then nothingness …. Cruise along … and sometimes your plate will be full…

Surrounded by friends and family spoiled for choice and then suddenly none

The cellar and larder are overflowing with fine liquor and food… the tables groan under the weight of the food and sometimes there is hardly a morsel or two..

There could be Wealth, the coffers so full you could pay a king’s ransom and sometimes so little a little treat may mean the world…

Spiritually so full sometimes and disenchanted and empty…

It’s reality one will have to go through this …

The Life’s doorbell has to  be answered….