Banchan is one word, but the dishes under it number in the hundreds. A simple Korean table may carry three or four. A traditional full-course meal may carry twelve or more.
Kimchi (김치): The Fermented Heart of the Korean Table
Kimchi is the largest single category of banchan. The word kimchi refers to salted and fermented vegetables, most often seasoned with gochugaru (고추가루, Korean chili powder), garlic, ginger, and jeotgal (젓갈, salted seafood). Hundreds of regional varieties exist. The most common ones met at a Korean table are:
Baechu kimchi (배추김치) — napa cabbage kimchi. The standard everyday kimchi. Cabbage leaves are folded with seasoning between each layer, then fermented. Taste: sour, salty, mildly to deeply spicy.
Kkakdugi (깍두기) — cubed radish kimchi. Radish cut into cubes, then fermented with the same seasoning. Taste: crunchy, more refreshing than cabbage kimchi, slightly sweet.
Baek kimchi (백김치) — white kimchi. A mild, non-spicy kimchi. No chili powder. Taste: clean, light, slightly sweet, often with pear and chestnut.
Oi sobagi (오이소박이) — stuffed cucumber kimchi. Whole small cucumbers slit and stuffed with seasoning. Taste: crunchy, juicy, often the freshest of the kimchi on the table — rarely fermented long.
Chonggak kimchi (총각김치) — ponytail radish kimchi. Small radishes kept whole with thin tails. Taste: crunchy, fresh, slightly sharper than cabbage kimchi.
Dongchimi (동치미) — watery radish kimchi. A cold, brine-heavy kimchi served as a soup-like side. Taste: refreshing, mild, sometimes poured over rice in summer.
Nabak kimchi (나박김치) sits in the same family.
Pa kimchi (파김치) — green onion kimchi. Whole green onions fermented with kimchi seasoning. Taste: strong, savory, aromatic.
Yeolmu kimchi (열무김치) — young summer radish kimchi. Made in late spring and summer from small tender radishes. Taste: refreshing, lightly fermented.
Gat kimchi (갓김치) — mustard leaf kimchi. Made with mustard greens rather than cabbage. Taste: pungent, sharp, slightly bitter.
Photo: Korea Tourism Organization
Namul (나물): Seasoned Vegetables
The word namul covers seasoned vegetables, often blanched or steamed and then tossed with sesame oil, garlic, soy sauce, and sometimes gochugaru. Namul is one of the few banchan categories where the same dish can range from a simple home preparation to an elaborate restaurant version.
Sigeumchi-namul (시금치나물) — seasoned spinach. Spinach blanched, squeezed, and seasoned with sesame oil, garlic, and soy sauce. Taste: clean, savory, slightly nutty.
Kongnamul-muchim (콩나물무침) — seasoned soybean sprouts. Bean sprouts blanched and tossed with sesame oil and aromatics. Taste: crunchy, fresh, lightly nutty. Often listed under both namul and muchim because the preparation steps overlap; here it sits with the namul family.
Gosari-namul (고사리나물) — seasoned bracken. Fernbrake shoots, parboiled, then seasoned. Taste: earthy, slightly chewy.
Doraji-namul (도라지나물) — seasoned bellflower root. Bitter root parboiled to tame bitterness. Taste: bittersweet, slightly crunchy. Sesame is heavily used to balance.
Aehobak-namul (애호박나물) — seasoned Korean zucchini. Thin strips of Korean zucchini lightly seasoned. Taste: mild, soft, gently sweet. The bokkeum (stir-fried) version is more common.
Beoseot-bokkeum (버섯볶음) — stir-fried mushrooms. A mix of oyster, shiitake, enoki mushrooms. Taste: savory, earthy, umami.
Photo: Korea Tourism Organization
Jorim (조림): Soy-Braised Dishes
Jorim refers to dishes braised in a small amount of seasoned liquid, usually soy sauce-based. The texture is between deep-fried and stewed — the ingredients hold their shape while absorbing flavor.
Dubu-jorim (두부조림) — braised tofu. Tofu slices pan-fried until golden, then simmered briefly in soy sauce. Taste: savory, mildly sweet, soft inside with a firmer outside.
Gamja-jorim (감자조림) — braised potatoes. Potato chunks braised in soy sauce until the sauce thickens. Taste: slightly sweet, salty, soft but holding shape.
Yeongeun-jorim (연근조림) — braised lotus root. Lotus root slices braised in soy sauce. Taste: earthy, lightly sweet, with lotus root’s natural crunch.
Jangjorim (장조림) — braised beef. Thin beef brisket braised in soy sauce with aromatics. Taste: salty, deep, slightly chewy. Often eaten across several meals from one batch, so the dish appears on home tables more than restaurant tables.
Muchim (무침): Lightly Seasoned Fresh and Blanched Vegetables
Muchim refers to dishes where vegetables — fresh or blanched — are tossed with seasoning. The line between muchim and namul can be thin. The flavors are usually lighter than jorim and the texture is fresher.
Oi-muchim (오이무침) — seasoned cucumber. Cucumber slices or chunks tossed with gochugaru, garlic, vinegar, and sesame oil. Taste: crunchy, refreshing, slightly spicy.
Mu-muchim (무무침) — seasoned Korean radish. Julienned radish seasoned simply. Taste: clean, lightly pungent, refreshing.
Maneul-jjong-muchim (마늘쫑무침) — seasoned garlic stems. The slender stems of garlic, blanched and seasoned with gochugaru and soy. Taste: aromatic, slightly pungent, with garlic stem’s sharp note.
Bokkeum (볶음): Pan-Fried and Stir-Fried Dishes
Bokkeum is the stovetop stir-and-fry category. A small set of fish- and seafood-based bokkeum are common banchan.
Eomuk-bokkeum (어묵볶음) — stir-fried fish cake. Sliced fish cake pan-fried with vegetables and sauce. Taste: bouncy, slightly sweet, savory from the sauce.
Myeolchi-bokkeum (멸치볶음) — stir-fried anchovies. Small dried anchovies stir-fried with soy and sweetener. Taste: crunchy, salty, slightly sweet.
Janmyeolchi (잔멸치) — tiny anchovies. Smaller than myeolchi, crunchy, used as a topping or banchan. Taste: light, salty, crisp.
Mareun-ojingeo (마른오징어) — dried seasoned squid. Dried squid strips seasoned lightly with sesame oil and chili. Taste: chewy, salty, slightly spicy — closer to a snack than a side dish.
Beoseot-bokkeum (버섯볶음) — stir-fried mushrooms. A common mushroom banchan already listed in the namul section; also commonly found as a bokkeum dish. Taste: earthy and umami.
Jangajji (장아찌): Soy Sauce Pickles
Jangajji is vegetable pickle marinated in soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar — not fermented like kimchi. The result is crunchy, salty, and brightly flavored.
The most common vegetables used in jangajji are:
Maneul jangajji (마늘장아찌) — garlic in soy sauce.
Yangpa jangajji (양파장아찌) — onion in soy sauce.
Oe jangajji (오이장아찌) — cucumber in soy sauce.
Egg Dishes (계란 반찬)
Eggs appear at the Korean table in several forms, almost always small in size, almost always welcome.
Gyeran-mari (계란말이) — rolled egg. Eggs beaten with optional vegetables, rolled thin in a pan and cut into segments. Taste: soft, lightly seasoned.
Gyeran-jjim (계란찜) — steamed egg custard. Eggs whisked with water and cooked until custardy, often served in an earthenware pot called a ttukbaegi (뚝배기). Taste: soft, savory, slightly springy.
Ganjang-gyeran-jang (간장달걀장) — soy-braised eggs. Whole eggs simmered in soy sauce. Taste: deeply savory, slightly sweet. Often kept in the home refrigerator and served cold or warm.
Gyeran-hurai (계란후라이) — fried egg. Whole egg cracked into a small amount of oil and pan-fried until the white is set and the yolk soft. Taste: hot, savory, with a runny yolk that mixes into rice. Often appears as a topping on dishes like bibimbap, on donkatsu-style meals, or as a single-plate banchan at casual diners.
Photo: Korea Tourism Organization
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