''Banchan'' (,
from Korean: ) or bansang are small
side dish
A side dish, sometimes referred to as a side order, side item, or simply a side, is a food item that accompanies the entrée or main course at a meal.Korean cuisine
Korean cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient agricultural and nomadic traditions in Korea and southern Manchuria, Korean cuisine reflects a complex interaction of the natural envi ...
. As the
Korean language
Korean ( South Korean: , ''hangugeo''; North Korean: , ''chosŏnmal'') is the native language for about 80 million people, mostly of Korean descent. It is the official and national language of both North Korea and South Korea (geographic ...
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'' (반상) usually consists of ''
bap
BAP or bap may refer to:
Food
* Bap (bread), a type of bread roll
* Bap (rice dish), a Korean food
Music
* BAP (Basque band), a hardcore punk group (formed 1984)
* BAP (German band), a Colognian rock group (formed 1976)
* B.A.P (South Korean ban ...
'' (밥, cooked rice), ''
guk
''Guk'' (), also sometimes known as ''tang'' (), is a class of soup-like dishes in Korean cuisine. ''Guk'' and ''tang'' are commonly grouped together and regarded as the same type of dish, although ''tang'' can sometimes be less watery than ...
'' or ''
tang
Tang or TANG most often refers to:
* Tang dynasty
* Tang (drink mix)
Tang or TANG may also refer to:
Chinese states and dynasties
* Jin (Chinese state) (11th century – 376 BC), a state during the Spring and Autumn period, called Tang (唐) b ...
'' (soup), ''
gochujang
''Gochujang'' (, from Korean: , ) or red chili paste
* is a savory, sweet, and spicy fermented condiment popular in Korean cooking. It is made from gochu-garu (chili powder), glutinous rice, ''meju'' (fermented soybean) powder, ''yeotgireum'' ...
'' or
''ganjang'', ''
jjigae
''Jjigae'' (Korean: 찌개, ) is a Korean stew. There are many varieties; it is typically made with meat, seafood or vegetables in a broth seasoned with ''gochujang'' (red chilli paste), ''doenjang'' (soy bean paste), ''ganjang'' (soy sauce) or ...
'', and ''
kimchi
''Kimchi'' (; ko, 김치, gimchi, ), is a traditional Korean side dish of salted and fermented vegetables, such as napa cabbage and Korean radish. A wide selection of seasonings are used, including ''gochugaru'' (Korean chili powder), sprin ...
''. According to the number of ''banchan'' added, the table setting is called ''3 cheop'' (삼첩), ''5 cheop'' (오첩), ''7 cheop'' (칠첩), ''9 cheop'' (구첩), ''12 cheop'' (십이첩) ''bansang'', with the ''12 cheop'' used in
Korean royal cuisine
Korean royal court cuisine (''Joseon Wangjo Gungjung yori'') was the style of cookery within Korean cuisine traditionally consumed at the court of the Joseon Dynasty, which ruled Korea from 1392 to 1910. There has been a revival of this cookery ...
.
''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
''Galbi''
* (), ''galbi-gui'' (), or grilled ribs, is a type of ''gui'' (grilled dish) in Korean cuisine. "''Galbi''" is the Korean word for "rib", and the dish is usually made with beef short ribs. When pork spare ribs or another meat is us ...
'' or ''
bulgogi
''Bulgogi'' (불고기; ; from Korean language, Korean ''bul-gogi'' ), literally "fire meat", is a ''Gui (food), gui'' (구이; Korean-style grilled or roasted dish) made of thin, marination, marinated slices of meat, most commonly beef, gri ...
'', and a shared pot of ''
jjigae
''Jjigae'' (Korean: 찌개, ) is a Korean stew. There are many varieties; it is typically made with meat, seafood or vegetables in a broth seasoned with ''gochujang'' (red chilli paste), ''doenjang'' (soy bean paste), ''ganjang'' (soy sauce) or ...
''. Bowls of cooked rice and ''guk'' (soup) are set individually. ''Banchan'' are served in small portions, meant to be finished at each meal and replenished during the meal if not enough. Usually, the more formal the meals are, the more ''banchan'' there will be.
Jeolla
Jeolla Province (, ) was one of the historical Eight Provinces of Korea during the Kingdom of Joseon in today Southwestern Korea. It consisted of the modern South Korean provinces of North Jeolla, South Jeolla and Gwangju Metropolitan City as wel ...
province is particularly famous for serving many different varieties of ''banchan'' in a single meal.
While the countries surrounding Korea were preserving foods with their abundance of livestock resources, Korea was forced to utilize another way to safeguard their resources. Due to their focus on agriculture, the main ingredients in their fermented foods were grains and vegetables.
The fermentation process is necessary as most parts of the Korean peninsula are isolated by mountains from all sides. Additionally, this process of fermentation can be used to enrich the flavor profile of food with the use of gochujang.
Kimchi is a perfect example of this enriched food utilizing the flavor and fermentation process together. Therefore, banchan is mainly seasoned with fermented soy products, medicinal herbs, and sesame or
perilla oil
Perilla oil ( ''Deulgireum'') is an edible vegetable oil derived from perilla seeds. Having a distinct nutty aroma and taste, the oil pressed from the toasted perilla seeds is used as a flavor enhancer, condiment, and cooking oil in Korean cuisine ...
s.
Gochujang was added to enhance each meal. Potentially, this could refer to another chojang (vinegar sauce) that was used as a dipping sauce.
Mustard was an additional important seasoning used to enrich the flavor of the foods. Chojang was made by mixing gochujang with honey, vinegar, and ground pine nuts.
It was made by adding mustard powder or whole mustard to water and grinding it out, then adding vinegar, salt and sugar and leaving the mixture upside down in a warm place.
For the fermentation of vegetables jangkwa (pickled vegetables and fruit) were served. These dishes were created by pickling the different seasonal vegetables with kanjang, gochujang, and doenjang.
However, in the palace, jangkwa also referred to a dish made by pickling cucumber, radish, young radish, parsley, or cabbage heart with salt, then drying it in the sun, removing all moisture; the vegetables were then stir-fried with beef, shredded red pepper, sesame oil, and sesame and salt.
History
''Banchan'' is thought to be a result of
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
influence at around the mid-
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Han dynasty#Eastern Han, Eastern Han dynasty and wa ...
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
A series of campaigns were conducted between 1231 and 1270 by the Mongol Empire against the Goryeo dynasty of Korea. There were seven major campaigns at tremendous cost to civilian lives, the last campaign made Goryeo a vassal state of the Yu ...
ended the ban on meat-containing dishes, as well as meat offerings for rituals such as ''
jesa
Jesa (, ) is a ceremony commonly practiced in the East Asian cultural sphere. Jesa functions as a memorial to the ancestors of the participants. Jesa are usually held on the anniversary of the ancestor's death. The majority of Catholics, Budd ...
'', approximately six centuries of vegetable-based cuisine in the form of ''banchan'' had imprinted itself into Korean cuisine.
During the Chosun Dynasty, Buddhism was shunned while Confucianism remained the dominant ideology that was followed. Tea was no longer served in the palace and slowly began to dwindle, however, the ceremony of tea and rice cakes as snacks endured. Through food, the Chosun kings were able to see the living conditions of their people. ‘Accordingly, royal cuisine in the final period of the Chosun Dynasty was borne out of a culture of restraint based on Confucian ideology, but experienced changes after the 18th century as taste and personal preference became more dominant values’ (Chung et al., 2017). ‘The Korean Empire was also influenced by foreign cuisine, and western-style banquets were held in Deoksugung (德壽宮) Palace. King Kojong is known to have been a fan of coffee. As Emperor Sunjong took the throne, royal cuisine was introduced to the common people through royal chefs and cooks’ (Chung et al., 2017).
In the olden days, it is believed that the 12 banchan setting was for people with a higher ranking such as the king or emperor while the rest of the nobel family members will have a maximum of 9 banchan served. The different banchan setting was used to distinguish the power and hierarchy between the royals.
Varieties
Kimchi
Kimchi is a popular banchan which requires vegetables to undergo a fermentation process with different korean spices. Kimchi is high in dietary fiber and low in calories,but is also high in many different nutrients that can be beneficial for the body. Through the fermentation process, Kimchi produces high levels of Vitamins such as Vitamin and Vitamin B complex and minerals that are very beneficial for the body.
Kimchi is fermented vegetables, usually ''
baechu
Napa cabbage (''Brassica rapa'' subsp. ''pekinensis'' or ''Brassica rapa'' Pekinensis Group) is a type of Chinese cabbage originating near the Beijing region of China that is widely used in East Asian cuisine. Since the 20th century, it has al ...
'' (Napa cabbage), seasoned with
chili peppers
Chili peppers (also chile, chile pepper, chilli pepper, or chilli), from Nahuatl '' chīlli'' (), are varieties of the berry-fruit of plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for ...
and
salt
Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quantitie ...
. 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
scallion
Scallions (also known as spring onions or green onions) are vegetables derived from various species in the genus ''Allium''. Scallions generally have a milder taste than most onions and their close relatives include garlic, shallot, leek, ch ...
s, ''
gat'' (갓), and
radish
The radish (''Raphanus raphanistrum'' subsp. ''sativus'') is an Eating, edible root vegetable of the family Brassicaceae that was domesticated in Asia prior to Roman Empire, Roman times.
Radishes are grown and consumed throughout the world, be ...
(무; ''mu'').
Namul
Namul (나물) 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.
Bokkeum
Bokkeum
''Bokkeum'' () is a category of stir-fried dishes in Korean cuisine.
Etymology
''Bokkeum'' () is a verbal noun derived from the Korean verb ''bokkda'' (), meaning "to cook food or food ingredients with little or a small amount of liquid by ...
(볶음) is a dish stir-fried with sauce.
*Kimchi bokkeum (김치볶음) - Stir-fried kimchi, often with pork
(similar to ''jeyook bokkeum'').
*Jeyook bokkeum (제육볶음) - Stir-fried pork with
gochujang
''Gochujang'' (, from Korean: , ) or red chili paste
* is a savory, sweet, and spicy fermented condiment popular in Korean cooking. It is made from gochu-garu (chili powder), glutinous rice, ''meju'' (fermented soybean) powder, ''yeotgireum'' ...
(chili pepper paste) sauce and onions.
*
Ojingeochae bokkeum (오징어채볶음) — Stir-fried
dried shredded squid
Dried shredded squid is a dried, shredded, seasoned, seafood product, made from squid or cuttlefish, commonly found in coastal Asian countries, Russia, and Hawaii. The snack is also referred to as dried shredded cuttlefish.
History and origins
Hi ...
seasoned with a mixture of
gochujang
''Gochujang'' (, from Korean: , ) or red chili paste
* is a savory, sweet, and spicy fermented condiment popular in Korean cooking. It is made from gochu-garu (chili powder), glutinous rice, ''meju'' (fermented soybean) powder, ''yeotgireum'' ...
(chili pepper paste), garlic, and ''mullyeot'' (syrup-like condiment).
*
Nakji bokkeum (낙지볶음) - Stir-fried baby octopus in spicy
gochujang
''Gochujang'' (, from Korean: , ) or red chili paste
* is a savory, sweet, and spicy fermented condiment popular in Korean cooking. It is made from gochu-garu (chili powder), glutinous rice, ''meju'' (fermented soybean) powder, ''yeotgireum'' ...
sauce.
*Buseot bokkeum (버섯볶음) - Stir-fried mushrooms such as
''pyogo'',
oyster mushrooms
''Pleurotus'' is a genus of gilled mushrooms which includes one of the most widely eaten mushrooms, '' P. ostreatus''. Species of ''Pleurotus'' may be called oyster, abalone, or tree mushrooms, and are some of the most commonly cultivated edib ...
, pine mushrooms.
*
Myulchi bokkeum - Stir-fried dried anchovies.
Jorim
Jorim
''Jorim'' () is a simmered Korean dish, made by boiling vegetables, meat, fish, seafood, or tofu in seasoned broth until the liquid is absorbed into the ingredients and reduced down. ''Jorim'' dishes are usually soy sauce-based, but gochujang ( ...
is a dish simmered in a seasoned broth.
*Dubu-jorim (두부조림) —
Tofu
Tofu (), also known as bean curd in English, is a food prepared by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness; it can be ''silken'', ''soft'', ''firm'', ''extra firm'' or ''super firm ...
simmered in diluted soy sauce, a little bit of sesame oil, minced garlic, and chopped green onion.
*Jang-jorim (장조림) — Beef simmered in soy sauce, optionally with hard-boiled eggs or hard-boiled quail eggs.
Jjim
Jjim
''Jjim'' (찜; ) is a Korean cuisine term referring to dishes made by steaming or boiling meat, chicken, fish, or shellfish which have been marinated in a sauce or soup. The cooking technique originally referred to dishes cooked in a ''siru'' ( ...
is a steamed dish.
*
Gyeran-jjim
''Gyeran-jjim'' (), ''Dalgyal-jjim'' () or steamed eggs is a type of '' jjim'', Korean steamed dish.
* It is a custardy, casserole-like ''banchan'' (side dish), often seasoned with ''saeu-jeot'' (salted shrimp) or ''myeongnan-jeot'' (salted pollo ...
(계란찜) — Mixed and seasoned eggs steamed in a hot pot.
*Saengseon jjim (생선찜)- Steamed fish.
Jeon
''
Jeon'' denotes a variety of pan-fried,
pancake
A pancake (or hotcake, griddlecake, or flapjack) is a flat cake, often thin and round, prepared from a Starch, starch-based batter (cooking), batter that may contain eggs, milk and butter and cooked on a hot surface such as a griddle or fryi ...
-like dishes.
''Buchimgae'' is a near
synonym
A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...
.
*
Pajeon
''Pajeon'' (, ) is a variety of '' jeon'' with scallion as its prominent ingredient, as ''pa'' () means scallion. It is a Korean dish made from a batter of eggs, wheat flour, rice flour, scallions, and often other ingredients depending on the v ...
(파전) — Thin pancakes with
scallion
Scallions (also known as spring onions or green onions) are vegetables derived from various species in the genus ''Allium''. Scallions generally have a milder taste than most onions and their close relatives include garlic, shallot, leek, ch ...
s.
*
Kimchijeon
''Kimchi-buchimgae'' () or ''kimchi-jeon'' (), is a variety of ''buchimgae'' or '' jeon''. It is primarily made with sliced kimchi, flour batter and sometimes other vegetables. However, meat (ground pork) is also often added. Kimchi, spicy pi ...
(김치전) — Thin pancakes with old (ripe) Kimchi.
*
Gamjajeon
''Gamja-jeon''
* () or potato pancakes is a variety of '' jeon'', or Korean style pancake, made by pan-frying finely grated potato on a frying pan with any type of vegetable oil until golden brown.
History
Potatoes may have been introduced in ...
(감자전) — Korean-style
potato pancakes
Potato pancakes are shallow-fried pancakes of grated or ground potato, matzo meal or flour and a binding ingredient such as egg or applesauce, often flavored with grated garlic or onion and seasoning. They may be topped with a variety of condim ...
.
*
Saengseon-jeon (생선전) — Small portions of fish coated with eggs and pan-fried.
*
Donggeurang ttaeng (동그랑땡) — Patty made with tofu, meat and vegetables, coated with eggs and pan-fried.
*Yukjeon (육전) — Bite-sized beef coated in flour and egg and grilled in a pan.
Others
*
Danmuji
''Takuan'' (; also spelled ''takuwan''), or ''takuan-zuke'' (; 'pickled takuan'), known as ''danmuji'' () in the context of Korean cuisine, is a pickled preparation of daikon radish. As a popular part of traditional Japanese cuisine, ''takua ...
(단무지) — A pickled radish marinated in a natural yellow dye made from
gardenia
''Gardenia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the coffee family, Rubiaceae, native to the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia, Madagascar and Pacific Islands, and Australia.
The genus was named by Carl Linnaeus and John Ellis aft ...
fruit.
*
Gyeran-mari
''Gyeran-mari'' (), ''Dalgyal-mari'' () or rolled omelette in Korean cuisine is a savory ''banchan'' (side dish) made with beaten eggs mixed with several finely diced ingredients.
* Common ingredients include vegetables (onion, carrot, Korean zu ...
(계란말이) — A rolled omelet served in slices.
*
Japchae
''Japchae'' () is a savory and slightly sweet dish of stir-fried glass noodles and vegetables that is popular in Korean cuisine.
* ''Japchae'' is typically prepared with '' dangmyeon'' (당면, 唐麵), a type of cellophane noodles made from ...
(잡채) — A stand-alone dish in its own right, ''japchae'' can also be eaten as banchan. ''Japchae'' is
glass noodles
Cellophane noodles, or fensi (), sometimes called glass noodles, are a type of transparent noodle made from starch (such as mung bean starch, potato starch, sweet potato starch, tapioca, or canna starch) and water. A stabilizer such as chitosan ...
accompanied with a variety of vegetables and beef in a slightly-sweet garlic sauce.
*Korean-style potato salad (감자 샐러드) with apples and carrots.
Gallery
Image:Korean cuisine-Banchan-11.jpg, Various banchan served at a table
Image:0606 hanjeongsik damyang.jpg, Table setting in Jeolla
Jeolla Province (, ) was one of the historical Eight Provinces of Korea during the Kingdom of Joseon in today Southwestern Korea. It consisted of the modern South Korean provinces of North Jeolla, South Jeolla and Gwangju Metropolitan City as wel ...
province with many ''banchan''
Image:Korean cuisine-Ojingeochae bokkeum-01.jpg, ''Ojingeochae bokkeum'' (오징어채볶음)
Image:Korean cuisine-Yeongeun jorim-01.jpg, '' Yeongeun jorim'' (연근조림)
Image:1005 eggjjim.jpg, ''Gyeran jjim
''Gyeran-jjim'' (), ''Dalgyal-jjim'' () or steamed eggs is a type of ''jjim'', Korean steamed dish.
* It is a custardy, casserole-like ''banchan'' (side dish), often seasoned with ''saeu-jeot'' (salted shrimp) or ''myeongnan-jeot'' (salted polloc ...
'' (계란찜) in a hot ''ttukbaegi
A ''ttukbaegi'' () is a type of ''oji-gureut'', which is an ''onggi'' coated with brown-tone ash glaze. The small, black to brown earthenware vessel is a cookware/serveware used for various ''jjigae'' (stew), ''gukbap'' (soup with rice), or oth ...
''
Image:Korean pancake-Samsaek jeon-01.jpg, ''Samsaek jeon'' (삼색전); any three different colored jeon are referred to as such
Image:Korean cuisine japchae.jpg, ''Japchae
''Japchae'' () is a savory and slightly sweet dish of stir-fried glass noodles and vegetables that is popular in Korean cuisine.
* ''Japchae'' is typically prepared with '' dangmyeon'' (당면, 唐麵), a type of cellophane noodles made from ...
''
See also
*
Korean table d'hôte
* ''
Okazu
''Okazu'' ( or ; ; ) is a Japanese language, Japanese word meaning a side dish to accompany rice; subsidiary articles of diet.''Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary'', They are cooked and seasoned in such a way as to match well when eate ...
''
* ''
Meze
Meze or mezza (, ) is a selection of small dishes served as appetizers in the Levant, Turkey, Greece, the Balkans, the Caucasus and Iran. It is similar to Spanish tapas and Italian antipasti. A mezze may be served as a part of a multi-course me ...
''
* ''
Smörgåsbord
Smörgåsbord () is a buffet-style meal of Swedish origin. It is served with various hot and cold dishes.
Smörgåsbord became internationally known at the 1939 New York World's Fair when it was offered at the Swedish Pavilion "Three Crowns R ...
''
* ''
Thali
Thali (meaning "plate"), Bhojanam (meaning "full meal") or Chakluk is a round platter used to serve food in South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Caribbean. Thali is also used to refer to an Indian-style meal made up of a selection of various di ...
''
References
External links
''Introduction to Korean Food''''About Korean Cuisine''{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180926014405/http://www.koreainfogate.com/taste/food/recipemain.asp , date=26 September 2018
Appetizers
Korean cuisine
Serving and dining
Meals