Banchan facts for kids
| Banchan | |
Various banchan served at a table
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Quick facts for kids Korean name |
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| Hangul |
반찬
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| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | banchan |
| McCune–Reischauer | panch'an |
Banchan (pronounced bahn-chan) are small, tasty side dishes. They are a very important part of a Korean meal. You eat them with your main dish, usually cooked rice. Imagine a table full of different little plates, each with something delicious!
What are Banchan?
In Korean meals, you usually have a main dish like bap (cooked rice), guk or tang (which are types of soup), and kimchi. Banchan are the extra dishes that make the meal special. They add lots of different flavors and textures.
The number of banchan served can tell you how fancy a meal is. This is called bansang. For example, 3 cheop means 3 side dishes. 12 cheop is a very formal meal, like those served to Korean royalty long ago!
How Banchan are Served
Banchan are usually placed in the middle of the table. Everyone shares them. However, soup (guk) is usually served in individual bowls.
Chefs serve banchan in small amounts. This is so they can be finished at each meal. If you want more of a certain dish, don't worry! More will be added if you need it.
Often, the more formal a meal is, the more banchan there will be. The Jeolla province in Korea is very famous. It's known for serving many different kinds of banchan in one meal.
Images for kids
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Dongchimi (동치미) is a type of radish kimchi.
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Various namul are seasoned vegetable dishes.
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Various banchan served at a table.
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A table setting in Jeolla province with many banchan.
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Ojingeochae bokkeum (오징어채볶음) is a sweet and spicy dried squid dish.
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Yeongeun jorim (연근조림) is braised lotus root.
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Gyeran jjim (계란찜) is a steamed egg custard.
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Samsaek jeon (삼색전) means "three-colored pancakes."
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Japchae is a popular dish of stir-fried glass noodles and vegetables.
See also
In Spanish: Banchan para niños
