Vietnamese TikToker with 3.1 million followers apologizes after calling ‘banh mi’ a ‘struggle food’

The comments, made in a video posted on the account @hienluongxink, sparked a backlash on social media, with users accusing her of disrespecting a widely consumed dish associated with Vietnamese culture.

In the clip, the influencer said she avoided banh mi because it made her feel poor and only ate it when she had no money.

In another video, she was showed biting off and discarding the tip part of a loaf of banh mi, which also drew criticism.

Many users said the remarks were insensitive and dismissive of a popular and culturally significant food, with some highlighting banh mi's status as a source of national pride.

Following the backlash, the TikToker removed the related videos and issued an apology, saying her comments were inappropriate and poorly expressed and had caused discomfort to viewers.

She said she regretted the incident and would be more careful with her statements in future posts, although some users said the apology, posted as a story, was insufficient.