Unpacking a family history with tinned sardines

Bánh mì cá mòi (the Vietnamese sardine roll) was special in our home, reserved for Sundays when it was Dad’s turn to make breakfast.

Bánh mì cá mòi is part of the family history. Source: Duncan Lu

I once asked my father why he preferred tinned sardines tightly packed in tomato sauce rather than the freshly bought versions, and his answer was unexpected. For him, tinned sardines evoked strong memories of his youth in Vietnam, and his time as a refugee in Indonesia before migrating to Australia.

Dad wasn’t always fond of sardines. Bánh mì cá mòi was a popular street food when he was a child, but he was averse to its taste. It wasn’t until his teens that he grew to enjoy it: flavouring the filling with sautéed onions, seasoning it with a generous amount of black pepper and serving it on fresh crusty bread. Dad was a budding soccer player and a bit of a larrikin with his friends – but when the war came, like thousands of people in his country, he was forced to leave all he knew. He fled Saigon (now known as Ho Chi Minh City).

Tinned sardines can be a versatile ingredient. Source: Duncan Lu

My dad and many others – packed into small rickety boats that were vulnerable to the seas and elements – embarked on a dangerous journey that ended on the isolated Indonesian island of Galang. Here, he spent years anxiously waiting to be accepted by another country. There weren’t many resources on the island, and they got by on basic food rations. To Dad’s delight, this included tinned sardines. The preserved fish, warmed through with vegetables on a bed of steamed rice, became his comfort food, reminding him of his life in Vietnam. He even managed to barter his tins with local fishermen, in return for freshly caught fish. When he was finally accepted into Australia, he never gave up on this dependable meal – but they now carried a different memory. No matter where he was in the world, tinned sardines resonate with him, his family and the thousands of other Vietnamese refugees who shared this same experience.

When he was finally accepted into Australia, he never gave up on this dependable meal – but they now carried a different memory.

Dad is now a devoted vegetarian, but when I visit him in Adelaide, he’ll still warm up a few tins of sardines and send my son and I down to the local bakery to pick up a few fresh Vietnamese rolls. This meal tells the story of my Dad's childhood and journey, and there are so many Vietnamese recipes like this in our family library: they recall our memories of life in pre-war Vietnam, as well as our tales of asylum and new life in Australia (try Mum’s lemongrass chicken banh mi, Vietnamese pumpkin soup or lemongrass pipis). It’s family recipes like these that help me build a culinary bridge that connects me with their experiences.

There isn’t much to the preparation of this simple dish, but if you already love sardines, give one of Vietnam’s lesser-known bánh mì a go: you'll experience flavours that carry many emotions, memories and stories in our culture.

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Bánh mì cá mòi

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 small brown onion, roughly chopped
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 120g tins of sardines in tomato sauce
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 plain Vietnamese bread rolls or crusty rolls
• 2 tbsp spreadable butter
• ¼ bunch coriander (optional) 
  

Method

1. Add oil to a medium saucepan over low-medium heat. Add the onion and sauté with a pinch of salt for a few minutes until fragrant and lightly brown. Add sardines with tomato sauce, sugar, ¾ tsp black pepper and 3 tbsp water. Bring to the boil and allow to simmer for 1-2 mins then remove from heat.
2. To make one bánh mì, cut open one bread roll, spread with half the butter then spoon in half the sardine mixture and garnish with half the coriander and a healthy pinch of black pepper. Repeat this step for the remaining bánh mì.

Note

• My Dad’s favourite brand of sardines is Sumaco from Morocco. You can find it at select Asian grocers and supermarkets.