Beyond the baguette: France's food legacy in Vietnam

Hanoi

IT has been more than six decades since the end of French colonial rule in Vietnam, but when president Francois Hollande arrives this week, he will struggle to avoid a quintessential legacy of his country's rule: the baguette.

Smeared with pate and loaded with fresh coriander and cucumber, or just enjoyed with a pat of fresh butter, "banh mi" is a delicious symbol of Vietnam's lasting links with its former occupiers.