We explore what banchan is and its meaning.
May 26, 2025
Banchan (반찬) refers to the small dishes that accompany a Korean meal. They're often called "side dishes" - but that description doesn't quite capture their role. Banchan aren't sides to a main - they're an integral part of the meal and Korean life itself. A way of creating harmony, variety, and shared experience with every bite.
They're laid out in the centre, meant to be reached for communally. You might find a simple kimchi, stir-fried anchovies, quail eggs, braised potaties or many more - each one adding a note to the larger composition of the meal.
Historically, the number and types of banchan served reflected class and occasion. Meals were often categorised by a system called "ban-sang" (반상) - which literally means "meal table". These were described by how many ban 반 / 饌 (side dishes), were served alongside rice and soup.
A 3-ban meal might include three simple dishes.
A 5-ban or 7-ban table would offer more variety- often seen in middle-class or ceremonial settings.
A 12-ban setting was reserved for royalty, showcasing a full spectrum of seasonal and regional flavours.
Unlike Western meals structured around a central protein, Korean meals are composed as a spread. Multiple dishes eaten together, each offering contrast and complement. Fermented, fresh, warm, cool, crunch, soft - it's a choreography of flavour and texture.
There are hundreds of types of banchan, but here are some foundational categories:
- Kimchi (김치)
Fermented vegatbles - most often napa cabbage or radish - seasoned with chilli, garlic, and fish sauce. Pungent, spicy, sour, and full of umami.
- Namul (나물)
Seasoned vegetables, often blanched and mixed with sesame oil, garlic, and soy sauce. Think spinach (sigeumchi-namul) or bean sprouts (kongnamul).
- Jorim (조림)
Simmered or braised dishes like soy-glazed potatoes (gamja-jorim) or eggs and tofu in savoury sauces.
- Jeon (전)
Savoury pancakes - vegetables, fish, or meat battered and pan-fried. Crispy, soft, and perfect for dipping in soy-vinegar sauce.
- Bokkeum (볶음)
Stir-fried dishes - like spicy anchovies (myulchi-bokkeum) or tofu with vegetables.
- Muchim (무침)
Fresh, raw, or lightly blanched ingredients tossed in a sauce - often vinegar-based or gohugaru-spiced.
Banchan isn't just about taste. It's about balance - of flavour, texture, nutrition and temperature. A good table might offer something spicy, something mild, something crunchy, something soft. Fermented foods sit beside fresh ones. Salty dishes contrast with subtly sweet bites (e.g the potatoes glazed in a sweet sauce).
It's also about hospitality. In Korea, offering banchan - and continually refilling it - is a gesture of care. You don't just feed someone rice and stew, you surround it with context and variety.
Banchan teaches us that food doesn't need to be pated on one big dish to be complete. It's a cultural philosophy - one of abundance over excess, sharing over separation and everyday care over presentation.
