Giant “animal banh mi” in Saigon

The shop’s owner, Nguyễn Văn Khiêm, a 75-year-old from An Giang, shared that his family has been in the traditional bánh mì business for years, with several shops in Long Xuyên City. Two years ago, they opened a bakery in Ho Chi Minh City specializing in these massive bánh mì, ranging from 30 to 60 centimeters. To attract customers, they shape the bread into fun designs like frogs, crocodiles, carp, crabs, shrimp, and even octopuses.

Every day at 2 a.m., four bakers at this quirky bakery wake up to start kneading dough. Shaping animal-shaped bánh mì is no easy task since there are no molds involved. The bakers carefully carve out eyes, noses, mouths, and scales directly onto the dough. According to the shop owner, this step is crucial for giving the bread its personality and requires a lot of precision. “The technique is tricky, so it’s not easy to find skilled bakers. We had to bring in help from our hometown,” he explained.

For the crocodile-shaped banh mi, the ridges on its back are carved using a thin dough shield, and black beans are used for the eyes. Similarly, when making crab-shaped bread, the bakers must carefully carve the dough so that the legs bake evenly without becoming too long or short. Depending on their creativity, the bakers can craft various shapes, but the most popular ones are crocodiles, frogs, crabs, and shrimp.

The baking process is pretty much the same as for regular bánh mì. However, because these loaves are so big, they can only bake 12 at a time. About half an hour before they’re done, the bakers brush them with butter, sprinkle sesame seeds on top, and add some final touches.

When they come out of the oven, the loaves are a rich golden color, puffed up, and smell deliciously of butter and wheat. The largest ones, the giant crocodiles, measure over 60 cm in length. These animal-shaped loaves weigh between 500 grams to nearly a kilogram. “A good bánh mì should have a crispy crust, a lightly sweet inside, and a hint of durian and cadé (a creamy filling made from butter, milk, and coconut),” said Lý Thiện Tùng, a 57-year-old baker.

According to the shop owner, they bake fresh bread daily, and any unsold loaves are discarded because they don’t keep overnight. They bake in two batches, one in the early morning and another around noon, selling between 50 to 100 animal-shaped loaves each day. Most customers are people attending ancestor worship ceremonies, families with kids, or curious youngsters intrigued by the bread’s shapes. Prices range from 20,000 to 80,000 VND, depending on the size.