Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is briefed on how to make a "banh mi". Photo: VNA

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had lunch at an eatery in Hanoi’s Old Quarter on June 3, where he tried the world-famous Vietnamese sandwich "banh mi", a favourite street food of many Vietnamese people and foreign tourists, and drank "bia hoi", a locally brewed beer often used by Hanoians on hot summer days, VNA reported.

The Prime Minister learnt about the role of banh mi and bia hoi culture in Vietnam from locals, Hanh Nguyen from Intrepid Travel and Sam Tran from Gia Restaurant. He was particularly pleased to hear about the importance of Australian malting barley in beer production here and why Australian wheat is popular for the bread used in banh mi.

"Banh mi" is ranked 7th among the best street foods in the world by TasteAtlas, a website dedicated to discovering fresh ingredients, traditional dishes, and authentic restaurants around the world.

CNN Travel has also included "banh mi" among its top 24 sandwiches in the world in 2023. According to the website, Banh mi can be easily found at street vendors and food carts everywhere. This is not only a popular breakfast/lunch/dinner of Vietnamese people, but also well-known and beloved by many foreign visitors.

"Banh mi" is a favourite street food of many Vietnamese people and foreign tourists. Photo: VNA

It is regularly ranked in the list of delicious dishes that foreign tourists must try when visiting Vietnam. CNN said the classic version is pork-based, starring cha lua (Vietnamese-style pork roll), shredded pickled carrots, pickled daikon, cilantro leaves, mayonnaise and other ingredients. Depending on the region, travelers can taste different kinds of "banh mi" with various fillings. The taste is crunchy, fresh, savory, and utterly delicious.

During the visit, his hosts led him in a traditional Vietnamese drinking cheer of “một, hai, ba zô!” before tasting the beer.

In addition to "banh mi" and "bia hoi", PM Albanese also enjoyed boiled peanuts, grilled chopped fish, grilled pork and dried soya curds mixed with fresh onion leaves.

The PM commended the Vietnamese cuisine with diverse and unique dishes, and expressed his delight at sentiments and hospitality of local people.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese drinks "bia hoi" and says cheers with locals in the eatery. Photo: VNA

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese enjoys locally brewed beer (bia hoi) with young people. Photo: Thanh Nien newspaper

Australian officials sip locally brewed beer and eat banh mi. Photo: Thanh Nien newspaper

PM Albanese arrived at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi at noon on June 3, beginning a two-day official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh.

Right after his arrival, the PM visited the Hanoi campus of Australia’s RMIT University.

This is the first official visit to Vietnam by PM Albanese since he took office and only two months after a State-level visit by Australian Governor-General David Hurley, showing Australia's great attention to the Southeast Asian nation.

The first stop was at RMIT University Vietnam – the first Australian University in Vietnam – where the Prime Minister launched RMIT’s new Hanoi Industry and Innovation Hub and heard about their A$250 million strategic investment in Vietnam.

Within the framework of the visit, PM Albanese and the Australian delegation are scheduled to laid wreaths in tribute to late President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum in Hanoi; hold talks with PM Chinh and meet with the press; meet with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong, President Vo Van Thuong and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.

The Australian leader is also scheduled to join with PM Chinh in an exchange event with the women’s football teams of Australia and Vietnam; go for a tour of Hanoi; and visit RMIT University and United Nations International School (UNIS) in Hanoi.

The visit by PM Albanese is expected to reinforce political trust and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries, especially in the fields of politics, diplomacy, security, defence, economy, investment, labour, technology, climate change response, and people-to-people exchanges.

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