Banchan

Lore & Background

Banchan as a distinct side-dish tradition is most commonly associated with the Joseon Dynasty, when the practice of serving multiple small dishes alongside rice became formalized. While Buddhist-influenced plant-based diets contributed to Korean cuisine earlier, the specific development of banchan—especially the elaborate table settings with varying numbers of dishes—took shape during the Joseon period. Court kitchens developed various methods for cooking and presenting these dishes, while commoners produced smaller, simpler arrays. Over centuries, this vegetable-based tradition became deeply ingrained in Korean food culture.

During the Joseon Dynasty, Confucianism became dominant, and royal cuisine placed enormous weight on the philosophy of Yaksikdongwon—the health purpose of food—aiming for nutritionally balanced meals that achieved synergy between Yin and Yang. The Korean Empire was also influenced by foreign cuisine, with western-style banquets held at Deoksugung Palace. In the old

Reader's Guide

Banchan holds a central place in Korean cuisine, representing both a culinary tradition and a social marker. The number of banchan served—ranging from 3 cheop to 12 cheop—historically indicated the diner's social class, with kings receiving 12 and others fewer. This practice reflects the Confucian emphasis on hierarchy and formality that shaped Joseon-era dining. The development of banchan was profoundly influenced by Buddhist dietary restrictions that elevated vegetable-based dishes, and later by the need for food preservation through fermentation in a mountainous peninsula with extreme seasons. This fermentation tradition produced health benefits now studied by modern food scientists. Varieties of banchan are extensive, including kimchi (fermented vegetables), namul (seasoned steamed or stir-fried vegetables), bokkeum (stir-fried dishes), jorim (simmered dishes), jjim (steamed dishes), and jeon (pan-fried pancakes). Gochujang, a fermented chili paste, is a chief seasoning and fermentation agent for many banchan, and its quality was historically considered so vital that a 15th-century book stated it decided the farming success of that year. Banchan thus embodies centuries of Korean agricultural, religious, and social history, remaining an essential component of everyday meals and ceremonial feasts alike.

Did You Know?

• Banchan is thought to have originated from Buddhist influence around the mid-Three Kingdoms period, following a proscription against eating meat.
• The number of banchan served historically distinguished social class: a king would have 12, while others usually had fewer.
• Gochujang, a chief seasoning for many banchan, was so vital that a 15th-century book stated its quality decided the farming success of that year.
• Kimchi is not included in the cheop count when naming table settings like 3 cheop or 12 cheop bansang.

The Architecture of the Korean Table

Banchan occupy a central, communal position on the Korean dining table, placed in the middle for all diners to share. Around them sits the secondary main course—perhaps galbi or bulgogi—and a shared pot of jjigae, while each person receives their own bowl of rice and guk. The portions are deliberately small, designed to be consumed within a single sitting and refilled as needed. The number of side dishes signals the formality of the occasion: a basic bansang includes rice, soup, a fermented paste, jjigae, and kimchi, but additional banchan elevate the setting into 3-cheop, 5-cheop, 7-cheop, 9-cheop, or even 12-cheop configurations. Kimchi, notably, is excluded from this count. The 12-cheop arrangement was reserved for the highest ranks of the royal household, while lesser nobles capped out at nine. Jeolla Province earned a particular reputation for presenting an extraordinary variety of banchan in a single meal, making the table a visual celebration of small, shared plates.

Roots in Faith and Restriction

The origins of banchan trace back to the mid-Three Kingdoms period, when Buddhist influence led Korean monarchies to prohibit meat in their diets. With meat-based dishes off the table, vegetable preparations surged in prominence and became the defining element of Korean cooking. Court kitchens devoted themselves to refining methods of preparing, cooking, and presenting these plant-based dishes, while ordinary households managed with smaller, simpler arrays. Although the Mongol invasions eventually lifted the meat ban and restored animal offerings for rituals like jesa, roughly six centuries of vegetable-centered cuisine had already left a permanent mark on the culinary tradition. During the Joseon Dynasty, Confucianism replaced Buddhism as the guiding ideology, and while tea service faded from the palace, the broader culture of restrained, formal dining persisted. Royal cooking in this era reflected a Confucian aesthetic of moderation, even as personal taste gradually gained influence from the eighteenth century onward.

Fermentation as Survival and Flavor

Korea's mountainous geography and extreme seasonal temperatures made food preservation a matter of necessity, and fermentation became the primary answer. With cooking oil scarce compared to neighboring China—where frying and pickling dominated—Korean cooks turned to fermenting grains, vegetables, beans, and fish to lock in nutrients through harsh winters and sweltering summers. Gochujang emerged as a cornerstone seasoning and fermentation agent, so essential that the fifteenth-century text Hurbaekjeongjip, written by Gwidal Hong, declared the quality of a household's gochujang a predictor of that year's farming success. Other fermented pastes, jang, served dual roles as flavor enhancers and dipping sauces; chojang, for instance, combined gochujang with honey, vinegar, and ground pine nuts, while mustard added its own pungent depth. Jangkwa—pickled seasonal vegetables treated with kanjang, gochujang, or doenjang—rounded out the table. Modern food scientists continue to study the unexpected health benefits these ancient fermentation processes produce.

Royal Philosophy and the Language of Hierarchy

Korean royal cuisine was governed by the principle of Yaksikdongwon—the belief that food must serve a health purpose—aiming for nutritional balance and a harmony between Yin and Yang. The Kobaeumsik, a layered ceremonial dish, exemplified the Confucian aesthetic of formality and symbolism, said to represent the king's power. The number of banchan on a table was not merely a matter of abundance but a strict marker of rank: the monarch received twelve, while other members of the royal family were limited to nine or fewer. This hierarchical logic extended to every aspect of the meal, from the arrangement of dishes to the formality of presentation. As the Korean Empire opened to foreign influence, western-style banquets appeared at Deoksugung Palace, and King Kojong was noted for his fondness of coffee. Under Emperor Sunjong, royal chefs and cooks began transmitting palace recipes to the common people, gradually dissolving the once-absolute boundary between court and household tables.

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