Banchan


Banchan or bansang is a collective name for small side dishes served along with cooked rice in Korean cuisine. As the Korean language does not distinguish between singular and plural grammatically, the word is used for both one such dish or all of them combined.
The basic table setting for a meal called bansang usually consists of bap, guk or tang, gochujang or ganjang, jjigae, and kimchi. According to the number of banchan added, the table setting is called 3 cheop, 5 cheop, 7 cheop, 9 cheop, 12 cheop bansang, with the 12 cheop used in Korean royal cuisine.
Banchan are set in the middle of the table to be shared. At the center of the table is the secondary main course, such as galbi or bulgogi, and a shared pot of jjigae. Bowls of cooked rice and guk are set individually. Banchan are served in small portions, meant to be finished at each meal and are replenished during the meal if not enough. Usually, the more formal the meals are, the more banchan there will be. Jeolla province is particularly famous for serving many different varieties of banchan in a single meal.

History

Banchan is thought to be a result of Buddhist influence at around the mid-Three Kingdoms period and the subsequent proscription against eating meat by the monarchies of these kingdoms. Thus, with the ban on meat-containing dishes, vegetable-based dishes rose in prominence and became the focal point of Korean cuisine; court kitchens developed various methods for cooking, preparing and presenting these dishes, while less-affluent commoners produced smaller, simpler arrays of these vegetable-based dishes.
Although the Mongol invasions of Korea ended the ban on meat-containing dishes, as well as meat offerings for rituals such as jesa, approximately six centuries of vegetable-based cuisine in the form of banchan had imprinted itself into Korean cuisine.

Varieties

Kimchi

is fermented vegetables, usually baechu, seasoned with chili peppers and salt. This is the essential banchan of a standard Korean meal. Some Koreans do not consider a meal complete without kimchi. Kimchi can be made with other vegetables as well, including scallions, gat, and radish.
NameKorean nameDescription
Nabak-kimchi나박김치Watery kimchi with less spicy baechu and mu
Dongchimi동치미Various vegetables in white brine. Nabak kimchi and dongchimi are referred to as mul kimchi, literally "water kimchi."
Geotjeori겉절이Freshly made kimchi to be eaten crisp without fermenting. Usually made with baechu and lettuce.
Kkakdugi깍두기A kimchi made with cubed mu
Oi sobagi오이 소박이Stuffed cucumbers kimchi, stuffed with chili, spring onions and buchu
Chonggak kimchi총각김치Whole mu with chili pepper seasoning. It is made with dallangmu, about the same size as sausages.
Yeolmu-kimchi열무김치Thin and small young summer radish kimchi, which can be prepared either with or without fermented jeotgal.
Pa kimchi파김치Hot and salty scallion kimchi, seasoned with much myeolchijeot, the Korean version of salted anchovies.
Gat kimchi갓김치Indian mustard leaf kimchi with a large amount of red pepper powder and the unique bitter taste and aroma. Strong myeolchijeot and glutinous rice paste are added to reduce the hot and bitter taste.

Namul

refers to steamed, marinated, or stir-fried vegetables usually seasoned with sesame oil, salt, vinegar, minced garlic, chopped green onions, dried chili peppers, and soy sauce.
NameKorean nameDescription
Kongnamul콩나물Cold boiled bean sprouts with sesame oil.
Sigeumchi namul시금치나물Lightly parboiled spinach dressed with sesame oil, garlic, and soy sauce.
Miyeok muchim미역무침Miyeok with sweet vinegar and salt.
Musaengchae/Muchae무생채/무채Long julienned white radish in a sweet vinegar sauce, sometimes with ground dried chili peppers.
Gosari namul고사리나물Prepared fern shoots that have been stir-fried.
Chwinamul취나물Stir-fried and seasoned aster scaber.
Bireum namul비름나물Parboiled and seasoned amaranthus.
Naengi namul냉이나물Parboiled and seasoned shepherd's purse.
Dolnamul돌나물Raw Sedum with pepper sauce dressing.
Gogumasun namul고구마순나물Boiled/seasoned sweet potato shoots.
Gaji namul가지나물Boiled eggplant.
Doraji namul도라지나물Boiled Chinese bellflower roots.

Bokkeum

is a dish stir-fried with sauce.
is a dish simmered in a seasoned broth.
is a steamed dish.
Jeon denotes a variety of pan-fried, pancake-like dishes. Buchimgae is a near synonym.