In recent years in my travels and restaurant experiences, I’ve seen a rise in (x) Tapas, with (x) being Spanish, Mexican, Italian, and even Ethiopian. Around the world, there are many similar styles small-dish foods in the name of Pupus, Hors d’oeuvres, Izakaya, and Antipasta to name a few. In a Korean home or restaurant , you will see a variety of side dishes which we Koreans call Banchan. I like to refer to them as Korean Tapas in Banchan 101!

Banchan in its traditional sense is designed to be shared with those you are sharing the meal with. Banchan comes hundreds, if not thousands, of varieties usually related to the region of culinary style in Korea. Even with the mind-bogglingly wide variety of Banchan, they are known also for its simplicity as they are generally grouped into six categories. Banchan 101 makes it simple and can be prepared with most of the ingredients listed in my essential Korean Pantry post.

Six Types of Banchan

Banchan 101 makes it simple and categorizes by its ingredients and method of preparation. This variety of banchan can be grouped into the following culinary types: kimchi and jangajji (fermentation and pickling), namul (lightly seasoned vegetables, roots, and sprouts), bokkeum (lightly sautéed or stir fried), jorim (braised in seasoned broth or sauce), jjim (steamed), and jun (pan-fried pancakes and small meat patties.)

Kimchi (& Jangachi)

Kimchi is one of the oldest and most traditional dishes in Korean cuisine. Hundreds of varieties of kimchi exist ranging by seasonal vegetables, seasoning and region of origin. Kimchi is commonly categorized into cabbage (baechu, baek kimchi), radish (kkakduggi, dongchimi, chonggak), cucumber (oi sobagi), and greens (radish and mustard greens, green onion, chives). There are also varying levels of spice and seasoning however most seasonings include salt, garlic, gochugaru (ground chili pepper), ginger, scallions and spices in the initial brine.

Namul

Namul is generally steamed, blanched, or stir-fried vegetables, roots, and sprouts lightly seasoned with things like salt, vinegar, garlic, green onions, dried chili peppers, soy sauce, and sesame oil. This is where the commonality ends – depending on region, season, and preference, the types of base ingredients vary widely. Whether stir fried, pickled or lightly sweetened, using the entire ingredient is also important – the roots, stems, leaves, seeds, flowers and fruit. Most table settings will include a healthy variety in color and technique for a well-rounded meal.

Bokkeum

This is a stir-fried dish and can be dray or with a savory and sometimes spicy sauce. The word Bokkeum is a word that is generally used for all things stir-fried

Jorim

Jorim is associated with specialized Korean dishes that are prepared through a low and slow simmering in a seasoned sauce or marinade. This technique is applied to banchan (mostly vegetables, kimchi or tofu stew), as well as main entrees (most meat and seafood), often using a soy base. The seafood ingredients require stronger chili spices and aromatics to complement the flavor. Popular year-round jorim dishes include lotus root, burdock root, tofu, braised and shredded brisket, black cod and mackerel.

Jjim

This Banchan refers to meat and seafood dishes that have been either steamed or boiled while being marinated in a sauce or soup. One of the more popular versions of Jjim is boiled or steamed egg that is not in its shell. Making this has changed over the years due to the advancement of technology with pressure cookers and boiling is the preferred method rather than steaming.

Jun

Jeon is a savoury Korean-style pancake. It is made with pancake batter, eggs, and green onions/scallions, served with a mixture of soy sauce & vinegar for its dipping sauce. In translation, Jeon is the actual battered ingredients. The basic type of this dish consists of just scallions along with pancake mix and eggs but endless variation of this dish does exists by simply adding other ingredients such as seafood, kimchi, or vegetables.