Small side dishes served along with cooked rice in Korean cuisine, typically including various pickled vegetables, seasoned dishes, and fermented foods like kimchi.
From Korean 'banchan,' meaning 'side dish,' composed of 'ban' (rice/meal) and 'chan' (dish/food). The concept reflects the Korean dining philosophy of balanced, varied meals with multiple complementary flavors.
Traditional Korean meals featured banchan based on the seasons and family wealth—royal court cuisine could include over 20 different banchan! The variety wasn't just for flavor but for nutritional balance, ensuring diners got diverse vitamins, minerals, and probiotics from different fermented and preserved vegetables throughout the year.
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