In my Korean Cuisine post I mentioned that this cuisine presents lots of yummy sides with its ubiquitous rice and soup or stew. These sides are called banchan, and this post is about some of these side dishes. I can only provide a sampling because, as Thrillists writes, that while not always on a menu: there are 250 million (we counted!) kinds of banchan you may encounter in any given restaurant on any given day.
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General Banchan Comments
What + Why Banchan
Banchan is many little servings of mainly vegetables, but could include meat, fowl, fish, eggs, or even soups that accompany rice and either a soup or stew. A writer named Lavinia Spalding calls Banchan a panoply of colors, intense flavors, and surprising textures.
Banchan appears to date back to the Korean royal court cuisine, when it was expected that a royal meal had 12 dishes, to accompany rice and soup. For commoners, an odd number of Banchan were generally served, lined up on the table all at once, with the understanding they were to be shared among all at the table. It was not unusual to find people dipping their chopsticks or other utensils into the various dishes to grab a taste.
Banchan comes in general categories of ingredients and preparation:
- kimchi and jangajji (fermentation and pickling)
- namul muchim (lightly seasoned ingredients, in particular, vegetables, roots, sprouts)
- bokkeum (lightly sautéed or stir fried)
- jorim (braised in seasoned broth or sauce)
- jjim (steamed)
- jun (thinly pan-fried savory pancakes and small meat patties)
Amazingly, Banchan dishes are often refilled without additional cost, you just need to ask. But I have read where this free refill should not abuse the restaurant serving banchan, so people self-limit to no more than 3 refills of a side dish. Generally, I have not asked for more than one refill, generally of the kimchi since I love it so much.
Banchan History
What I have read is that Korea experienced times when they were not able to offer multiple bowls of rice (due to limited rice or high costs) and so to fill up stomachs they found serving additional cheaper dishes of vegetables would suffice. This way of calming hunger pangs continued through several difficult times of economic downturns, and war.
According to Creatrip, emotionally, consumers started to view restaurants as extended family, and started to call servers emo or “aunt”. So there is both an expectation customers will leave with their belly’s full, and the responsibility of the restaurant owner is to serve food until that happens.
Tradition calls for Koreans to take care of one another. So I expect the Banchan tradition to continue, but to be polite, it is expected that you will not overeat and gorge on the free sides.
My Korean Reference Sites
I have cookbooks, and have my favorite Youtube chanels and websites, to inform me on how to make this cuisine. I also eat the food at local restaurants and sometimes even get to ask questions. But here are my main sources:
- The Korean Food Gallery
- Maangchi is my favorite Korean Youtube site.
- I like KoreanBapsang website for her clean, clearly written recipes.
- TheSpruceEats, 90DayKorean, for Korean customs and etiquette.
Meat-based Banchan
Stir Fried Anchovies (Myeolchi Bokkeum)
This is a salty and sweet side dish that is full of nutrition.
- Wash and rinse the anchovies under running water in the sink.
- Sauté in a skillet until completely dry, and set aside.
- Then add 2T oil to heat for a minute, then add 1t minced garlic and once aromatic add 1.5T soy sauce and 1t rice wine. Pan fry for about a minute constantly stirring.
- Take off the heat! Only then add 1T sugar, 1t malt syrup, 1t sesame seeds and mix well. Serve.
At the time you start to add ingredients to the skillet you could also add peanuts or blanched shishito peppers if you wanted.
These are small plates keeping within a reasonable range of a usual portion size. The meats I have seen are varied, and include: octopus, shrimp, mackerel, pollock, scallops, squid, anchovies, beef, chicken, eggs, etc.
Soy Braised Beef
Sear a cut of beef, then slice into thin, 3” long strips and marinate. Serve in a small bowl dish with the sliced meat and marinade. Serve warm or room temperature.
- Meat: Beef eye round served in 4oz slices
- Boil some aromatic vegetables for a few minutes to make a flavorful broth: onion, scallion white parts only, radish, garlic, ginger, and pepper corns.
- Cut meat into 2-3” chunks, cook in the broth until tender, then add soy sauce, soup soy sauce, sugar and mirin.
- Optional additions: seaweed, boiled eggs, peppers.
Korean Steamed Eggs
- Make anchovy-kelp broth
- Crack 5 eggs into a microwave-safe bowl and whisk, adding 1T mirin, 2C anchovy-kelp broth, 1/2T salt, and 3T scallions.
- Place plastic wrap over the bowl, poking vent holes into the top and microwave for 7min.
- Serve.
Boiled Shrimp
De-shell and de-vein the shrimp while bringing a pot of water to boil. Place the shrimp in the boiling water for ~1 minute, then remove from the water to cool. Cut the shrimp into thin strips and add fresh lime juice. Serve at room temperature or warm.
- Seafood: 5-7 large shrimp.
- Marinating sauce: Freshly squeezed lime
Veggie-based Banchan
Vegan and vegetarians can find plenty of dishes to eat, however keep in mind many dishes are flavored with meat containing sauces. I find that vegetable namuls are “safer” dishes as they are usually made with either (or a combo of) rice vinegar and sesame oil and not meat based broths or ingredients.
Cucumber in Sauce (Oi Muchim)
This is a common one I have seen in restaurants. It is thinly sliced cucumber (Oi) with a vinegar, soy sauce, and bit of sugar. Sometimes topped with thinly sliced scallions, other times with pepper flakes or chili powder, and sesame seeds. Generally I make this ahead of time and let it soak before serving cold or room temperature.
Fermented Kimchi
There are variations, but the one I find most at the local restaurants is a red version that contains Napa Cabbage, carrots, daikon radishes, scallions, garlic, salt, ginger, red pepper powder, and fish sauce. Or you can buy jars of it at nearly every store around here.
WebMD: The bacteria used to ferment kimchi are safe to consume. However, if kimchi is not properly prepared or stored, the fermentation process can cause food poisoning. As a result, people with compromised immune systems should take caution when eating kimchi or other fermented foods.
Mung Beansprouts (Sukju Namul)
There is a difference in sprouts used for dishes, this one is Mung. Mung bean sprouts go bad quickly so I buy them the day I intend to use them. The mix here is with garlic, sesame seeds and oil, scallions and pinch white pepper.
Critical to all bean sprouts, since they tend to carry stuff on them, is that I will clean under running water, and then blanch them in salted boiling water as a way to clean and sanitize. This is one time I blanch for a minute or two, and then quickly put in an ice bath to cool them down. I want the sprouts still a bit crunchy.
Once cook I will remove from the water and squeeze out any remaining water. Place the sprouts in a bowl, and then marinate. The scallions and sesame seeds are as a topping before serving.
Mushrooms
Remove the stems from mushrooms. If the mushrooms are thick, place the stem side down, and carefully slice parallel to the cutting board. Then cut into thin strips.
- 3 dried shiitake mushrooms soaked (or 3 ounces fresh shiitake)
- 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- pinch salt and pepper
Potato Balls (Al Gamja Jorim)
This comes from Kimchimari: The best potatoes for this dish are baby-sized, waxy ones (not starchy ones like Russet or Yukon Gold). Keep the skin on, so clean with a brush. Then cook in salted boiling water until a fork can easily penetrate. Then drain and put in a dry pot with soy sauce, sugar, oil and dried shiitake mushrooms. Stir in maple syrup and let it all reduce down, taste, and salt to your preference. In a serving dish top with a bit of sesame oil and seeds. Serve warm or room temperature.
Roasted King Oyster Mushrooms
Slice in half and roast in the oven topped with a little oil and seasoning of your choice.
Seasoned Spinach (Sigeumchi Namul)
Trim and wash spinach, blanch until wilted (~25sec), then shock in cold ice water. Drain and squeeze out the water. Cut into 3” chunks and place into a bowl. Add all the other ingredients and mix well. Marinate for ~15 minutes in the fridge. Dish and serve.
- 1 bunch spinach
- 1 scallion chopped
- 2t guk ganjang, 국간장 (soup soy sauce) or use salt to taste
- 1t minced garlic
- 1/2t sugar
- 1t sesame oil
- 1 sesame seeds
- salt and pepper to taste
This basic recipe works with: baby kale, watercress, chard, etc.
Soybean Sprouts (Kongnamul Muchim)
Rinse and sort sprouts, discarding bad ones, and sniping off any roots. Add 1C water to pot, add sprouts, bring to a boil for ~3-4 minutes. Remove from heat, drain, and cool in ice water. In another bowl add garlic and oil, mix well and toss the sprouts in this mixture, then plate. Top with scallions and sesame seeds seeds. (For more color, you can sprinkle 1/2t of gochugaru (red chili pepper flakes) on top.
- 1# soybean sprouts
- 1 scallion, finely chopped
- 1t minced garlic
- 1T sesame oil
- 1t sesame seeds
- 1t salt and pepper to taste
If you want more color, you can add 1-2t gochugaru (red chili pepper flakes) and 1T soy sauce to the bowl with garlic and oil. This will make the dish look red.
Steamed Tofu in Chili Sauce
First make the chili sauce then steam the silken soft tofu. Top the chili sauce and scallions over the tofu and serve.
- 2T soy sauce, 2T water, 1/2T soy soup sauce, 2t sesame oil, 2t toasted sesame seed, 3t Korean chili flakes for the sauce
- Chopped scallions (green and white parts)
- Steam silken soft tofu (or place in microwave for 3 minutes)
Korean Eating Etiquette
The key to eating out with Korean friends is being polite and sharing the food and drink that arrives to the table. In many ways the thought behind these expectations is that good manners bring harmony to the meal.
The ritual of meals start right off the bat by knowing someones ranking, so do not hesitate to answer the question, where do I sit? This is because seating is done by rankings, either age, work title, or social standing. So be clear on ranks before you attend a meal, and if not clear ask someone. For example, at someone’s home the oldest is seated first, and in the seat of honor (which is located away from the door).
But I have read conflicting suggestions where some say the middle of the table is the honored seat, others say the head of the table furthest from the door. Ask your host before arriving what is proper.
- Turn off your phone before eating.
- If eating in a home, start by expressing you are looking forward to the meal as a compliment to the Chef and family for the effort they have made.
- Wait to start eating until everyone is seated, and the eldest has started.
- Start with the soup.
- Pass food with both hands.
- Remove yourself from the table to blow or dab at your nose as a matter of cleanliness, same with farting or burping.
- Eat at the pace of the table, not faster or slower so as not to offend. Too fast and you just want to get out of there. Too slow and you do not like the food.
- Keep bowls on the table, do not raise them to your mouth.
- Do not pull food directly from the main plate, take the food from there and put on your smaller plate before eating.
- Take what you want from the banchan plates, but try to leave some food for others, and be sure to not take more than you will eat.
- But do not unthinkingly reach too far, stay on your side of the table.People can pass the food.
- Never stick your chopsticks in food like your bowl of rice, place them back onto the table near the plate but put something under the tips.
- Feel free to use a spoon not only for soup, but also to eat the rice; chopsticks are for the food. Do not skewer food, learn how to use them before you eat in front of others. Use one utensil at a time and no fingers.
- Noise at the table is not appreciated so do not slurp noodles or noisily slurp soup, sneeze or cough, or even chew with your mouth open.
- Clean your plate.
- When done fold the napkin and place on the table.
- Thank the host for your meal.
For drinking there are also a few suggestions. You should not need to pour your own drink, but you will have to fill your neighbors glass. Most likely someone seated near you has already filled your glass. But there is also a proper way to pour, place your empty hand under the pouring one to create the image of a steady pour. You can say, no thank you, to alcohol without offending anyone. But if an elder offers you a drink take it graciously.
Conclusion
Do not let all the rules prevent you from enjoying a Korean meal. I suggested in this post to practice your chopstick skills, but also practice the other skills as well. So while the first few meals might seem like a practice of mindful-eating while you try to remember everything, over time they will become second nature.
Many countries have their own form of etiquette that I find few Americans bother with learning, before heading to those countries. In my humble opinion, to be a better world neighbor, learn how to be and eat politely in those other countries. Your attempt will be appreciated and respected.
—Patty
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