How to Eat Korean Banchan (Side Dishes)
Many people new to Korean food will have their first experience at a Korean restaurant. Korean BBQ and Kimchi Stew may surprise and delight but it’s the numerous small dishes of banchan that leave a lasting impression.
Kimchi should always be in stock (ahem, I mean if you can, we have been known to run out kimchi now and then) and Gim is really the easiest thing to keep in the pantry. As for other banchan, I tend to just pick some non-spicy ones for the kids and the others based on interesting colours.
Choosing different types of banchan (colour, texture, flavour) allow for quick meals for those busy weeknights when you just want to eat, quick. All you have to have is rice ready and banchan makes it a complete meal.
Level it up with soup or a stew- this you place beside rice. Koreans usually fry up an entire fish, it can be tricky but you’re expected to debone it as you eat. OPPA was taught at a young age to chew fish thoroughly and if a bone gets caught in your throat, to swallow a spoonful of rice (to push it through!). My family didn’t really eat fish with many fine bones and my mom would debone them for me so I’m not that comfortable eating much fish.
Of course, meat dishes can feature as well. Korean BBQ and Ssam can be added to the table as well. It’s a matter of adding dishes to the base spread of rice and banchan! It’s a common saying to say there’s so much food that it’ll break the table.
Components of a Typical Korean Meal
Rice: This one is a non-negotiable, buy some short-grain rice. Cook it on the stove if you don’t have a rice cooker.
Banchan: Side dishes to complement rice.
Soup/Stew: Something nice and hot.
Dish: Usually fish or meat.
Many Korean moms will say stuff like “Oh, there’s no banchan in the house!” while they fuss over 6 different banchan. But honestly, even if you only have Kimchi and Gim, it’s good enough to satiate hunger. Especially when single, it’s more than good enough (imo at least lol). It’d probably make a Korean mom cry for you though 😂.
Kids in Korea learn to eat banchan with their meals. Any kind of banchan that is not spicy is suitable. Popular kid banchan are eggs in soy sauce, mini dried anchovies fried in sugar and other soy-sauce based side dishes. And Gim. Always have Gim if you have kids.
One thing about plating banchan that I was curious about was that since it’s a communal experience (everyone shares banchan), I was wondering how people figure out how to portion. The answer, according to OPPA is to guess… very well. Because whatever you don’t finish, you don’t want to put back in the container so you’d have to wrap each one up separately and keep it for the next day. And who’s got that kind of empty fridge space?
So as of now what I’m doing is plating a conservative (a little less) amount and adding more as needed. The ultimate goal is to finish all the banchan in one sitting. Think of it as a fun game! But let’s be honest, it’s a pain in the butt of a guessing game.
