Vietnamese Pate substitute

Best substitute

Braunschweiger or Liverwurst

Use the same amount as the vietnamese pate you are replacing

Best for banh mi

Close match

The same basic idea in a different accent: smooth spreadable pork liver and fat. Next to Vietnamese pate it tastes saltier, smokier and more strongly of liver, with a firmer set that needs a moment at room temperature before it will spread on a soft baguette.

Other vietnamese pate substitutes

Ranked, with the exact amount to use

2French Pate de Campagne or Country Terrine
Taste and texture differ
3:4
Coarse, chunky and heavily seasoned with black pepper, garlic and usually a splash of brandy.
What changes
It is unmistakably related to Vietnamese pate, which grew out of exactly this tradition, but it is much more assertive, so a normal layer will bulldoze the pickled carrot and daikon.
Best for
banh mi, crusty bread, cold plates
Use about three-quarters as much as the recipe calls for and mash it with a fork so it spreads. It will not seal the bread the way smooth pate does, so keep the pickles well drained.
3Homemade Chicken Liver Pate
Close match
Use the same amount
Chicken livers softened in butter with shallot and a little five spice or black pepper, then blended smooth with more butter.
What changes
This is the best-tasting option on the list and takes about twenty minutes. It is a touch sweeter and silkier than commercial Vietnamese pate and noticeably less salty, so season it more aggressively than you would for a French pate.
Best for
banh mi, making a batch to freeze, pate chaud
Roughly 8 ounces of livers, 4 tablespoons of butter, one shallot, a splash of fish sauce and a pinch of sugar gives you about a cup. Chill it for two hours before spreading or it will tear the bread.
4Canned Liver Spread or Canned Pork Pate
Close match
Use the same amount
The little cans sold across Asian and Latin grocery aisles are made for exactly this.
What changes
They are softer and blander than Vietnamese pate, sweeter, and the starch in them makes them slightly pasty, but they spread beautifully and they seal bread better than anything else here.
Best for
banh mi on a budget, long shelf life, congee topping
Taste it first. Many brands are sweet, so hold back on any sugar elsewhere in the sandwich and add an extra dash of soy sauce or Maggi seasoning for savouriness.
5Mushroom and Walnut Pate
Different taste
Use the same amount
Mushrooms browned hard in butter or oil with shallot and thyme, then blended with toasted walnuts and a little soy sauce.
What changes
It cannot copy the iron-y mineral note of liver and will not try to, but it delivers the fat, the salt and the dark savoury depth, which is most of what the pate was contributing.
Best for
vegetarian banh mi, anyone who dislikes liver, make-ahead spreads
Brown the mushrooms until they squeak and stick, past the point they look done. Undercooked mushrooms make a watery spread that will soak the baguette instead of protecting it.
6No Pate: Extra Mayonnaise Plus Maggi or Soy Sauce
Taste and texture differ
Use 2 tbsp mayonnaise plus ½ tsp Maggi or soy for every sandwich
The honest least-bad option.
What changes
You keep the fat and the sealing layer and you replace some of the savouriness with seasoning sauce, but you lose the mineral depth completely and the sandwich tastes flatter and more one-note. It is still a good sandwich, just a plainer one.
Best for
when nothing liver-based is available, kids and picky eaters, grilled pork banh mi, where the meat carries more of the load
This works best in a banh mi thit nuong with grilled pork, because the caramelised marinade covers some of the gap. In a cold cuts banh mi, the absence is much more obvious.

What is Vietnamese Pate?

Vietnamese Pate is Vietnamese pate, written pate gan and known to most people as banh mi pate, is a soft French-influenced pork liver spread bound with fat and often a little starch, milder, sweeter and looser than German liverwurst.

Cooking tips

Spread pate on the bottom half of the baguette and mayonnaise on the top half. The pate goes against the side that will take the pickle and cucumber juice, because it is the better moisture barrier of the two.
Cold pate tears soft bread. Leave it out for ten minutes, or mash it with a teaspoon of mayonnaise, so it spreads instead of dragging.
Vietnamese pate is usually sweeter and less smoky than Braunschweiger. If you swap in Braunschweiger, a pinch of sugar mashed in gets you closer than any other single adjustment.
For pate chaud, the little puff pastry pate pies, you need a firmer mixture than sandwich pate. Mix your substitute with an equal weight of ground pork and a beaten egg, or the filling will run out of the pastry.
Any liver-based spread turns grey and metallic-tasting after a few days open. Press cling film against the surface, use it within four days, and freeze the rest in tablespoon portions.

Frequently asked questions

Can I just leave the pate out of a banh mi?

Yes, and plenty of shops sell sandwiches without it. You will lose the deep savoury undertone and some richness, so the sandwich leans harder on the pickles and herbs and tastes brighter but flatter. Add an extra tablespoon of mayonnaise and half a teaspoon of Maggi seasoning or soy sauce to make up part of the difference.

Is Vietnamese pate the same as liverwurst or Braunschweiger?

Not quite, but they are close cousins and they swap well. Vietnamese pate is usually softer, sweeter and less smoky, and often contains a little starch or bread which makes it spread more easily. Braunschweiger is smokier and saltier with a stronger liver flavour. If you mash a pinch of sugar and a teaspoon of butter into Braunschweiger, most people would not notice in a finished sandwich.

What kind of pate should I buy if the shop only has fancy French ones?

Choose a smooth pork or chicken liver mousse rather than a coarse country terrine or anything wrapped in aspic. Mousse-style pate has the spreadable texture you need. Avoid duck pate with orange or peppercorns, and avoid anything described as en croute, because the pastry and gelatin will not behave in a sandwich.

Is there a vegetarian pate that actually works in banh mi?

Mushroom and walnut pate is the one worth making. Brown the mushrooms hard so they lose their water, blend them with toasted walnuts, butter or oil, and a splash of soy sauce. It gives you fat, salt and dark savouriness. Mashed silken tofu or plain hummus does not, because neither has the roasted depth, and both are wet enough to soak the bread.

Can I freeze pate?

Yes, and it is the sensible way to handle a batch. Freeze it in tablespoon-sized portions, pressed flat in a bag, and thaw in the fridge overnight. The texture goes very slightly grainy, which disappears entirely once you mash it with a fork before spreading.

Related substitutes

More meat & protein substitutes

Vietnamese Pate substitute

Other vietnamese pate substitutes

2French Pate de Campagne or Country Terrine

3Homemade Chicken Liver Pate

4Canned Liver Spread or Canned Pork Pate

5Mushroom and Walnut Pate

6No Pate: Extra Mayonnaise Plus Maggi or Soy Sauce