Banchan

Banchan is thought to be a result of Buddhist influence at around the mid-Three Kingdoms period and the subsequent proscription against eating meat by the monarchies of these kingdoms.[4] Thus, with the ban on meat-containing dishes, vegetable-based dishes rose in prominence and became the focal point of Korean cuisine;[4] court kitchens developed various methods for cooking, preparing and presenting these dishes, while less-affluent commoners produced smaller, simpler arrays of these vegetable-based dishes.[4]

Although the Mongol invasions of Korea ended the ban on meat-containing dishes, as well as meat offerings for rituals such as jesa, approximately six centuries of vegetable-based cuisine in the form of banchan had imprinted itself into Korean cuisine.[4]

During the Joseon Dynasty, Buddhism was shunned while Confucianism remained the dominant ideology that was followed. Tea was no longer served in the palace and slowly began to dwindle, however, the ceremony of tea and rice cakes as snacks endured. Through food, the Joseon kings were able to see the living conditions of their people.[5] ‘Accordingly, royal cuisine in the final period of the Joseon Dynasty was borne out of a culture of restraint based on Confucian ideology, but experienced changes after the 18th century as taste and personal preference became more dominant values’ (Chung et al., 2017). Whilst personal preference became more dominant there was still a weight placed on the significance of formalities, which is an exceptionally Confucian mindset. The Kobaeumsik, a religious food served layer upon layer, is a prime example and was said to symbolize the power of the King, is a wonderful example of the Confucian esthetic elements prevalent in Korean cuisine. Royal cuisine placed an enormous weight on the philosophy of Yaksikdongwon or the health purpose of food. The goal was to create nutritionally balanced food that also achieved synergy and a sense of balance between Yin and Yang (Chung et al., 2017). ‘The Korean Empire was also influenced by foreign cuisine, and western-style banquets were held in Deoksugung (德壽宮) Palace. King Kojong is known to have been a fan of coffee. As Emperor Sunjong took the throne, royal cuisine was introduced to the common people through royal chefs and cooks’ (Chung et al., 2017). In the olden days, it is believed that the 12 banchan setting was for people with a higher ranking such as the king or emperor while the rest of the nobel family members will have a maximum of 9 banchan served. The different banchan setting was used to distinguish the power and hierarchy between the royals.

Fermenting was traditionally preferred for preserving food because cooking oil was in short supply in Korea, in contrast to China where frying and pickling were preferred.[6] The prominence of fermented and preserved foods in bansang is due to the need to apply a preservation method that could survive harsh winters and summers filled with extreme temperatures (Kim et al., 2016b). Due to their focus on agriculture, the main ingredients in their fermented foods were grains and vegetables.[7] The fermentation process is necessary as most parts of the Korean peninsula are isolated by mountains from all sides. This isolation created by the arduous terrain allowed for the Korean people to develop an enduring cultural legacy of Korean cuisine. The fermentation of grains, beans, fish and vegetables allowed for the preservation of nutrients as well as the food itself. The act of fermentation as well as the other varied cooking methods have created unforeseen health benefits that are being studied by food scientists in the modern age (Kim et al., 2016a). Additionally, this process of fermentation can be used to enrich the flavor profile of food with the use of gochujang.[7] Kimchi is a perfect example of this enriched food utilizing the flavor and fermentation process together. Therefore, banchan is mainly seasoned with fermented soy products, medicinal herbs, and sesame or perilla oils.[7]

Gochujang was added to enhance each meal. Potentially, this could refer to another chojang (vinegar sauce) that was used as a dipping sauce. The production of Gochujang was so vital to Korean cuisine that it was stated in the Hurbaekjeongjip a 15th-century book written by Gwidal Hong that “the quality of gochujang decided the farming success of that year”. Gochujang is a chief seasoning and fermentation agent of many banchan. This has been the cases for centuries. There are other jang used not only for their fermentation and nutrition merits, but also their flavor as a dipping sauce. There are many types of jang that are referenced in Korean historical texts (Kim, Chung, et al., 2016). Another excellent example of jang is chojang (vinegar sauce) that was used as a dipping sauce[8] Mustard was an additional important seasoning used to enrich the flavor of the foods. Chojang was made by mixing gochujang with honey, vinegar, and ground pine nuts.[8] It was made by adding mustard powder or whole mustard to water and grinding it out, then adding vinegar, salt and sugar and leaving the mixture upside down in a warm place.[8]

For the fermentation of vegetables jangkwa (pickled vegetables and fruit) were served. These dishes were created by pickling the different seasonal vegetables with kanjang, gochujang, and doenjang.[8] However, in the palace, jangkwa also referred to a dish made by pickling cucumber, radish, young radish, parsley, or cabbage heart with salt, then drying it in the sun, removing all moisture; the vegetables were then stir-fried with beef, shredded red pepper, sesame oil, and sesame and salt.[8]

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  Various banchan served at a table
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  Table setting in Jeolla province with many banchan
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  Ojingeochae bokkeum (오징어채볶음)
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  Yeongeun jorim (연근조림)
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  Gyeran jjim (계란찜) in a hot ttukbaegi
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  Samsaek jeon (삼색전); any three different colored jeon are referred to as such
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  Japchae

• Korean table d'hôte
• Okazu
• Meze
• Smörgåsbord
• Thali

• Kim, Soon Hee; Kim, Myung Sunny; Lee, Myoung Sook; Park, Yong Soon; Lee, Hae Jeong; Kang, Soon-ah; Lee, Hyun Sook; Lee, Kyung-Eun; Yang, Hye Jeong; Kim, Min Jung; Lee, Young-Eun; Kwon, Dae Young (1 March 2016). "Korean diet: Characteristics and historical background". Journal of Ethnic Foods. Elsevier. 3 (1): 26–31. doi:10.1016/j.jef.2016.03.002.

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Look up 반찬 in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Introduction to Korean Food
• About Korean Cuisine Archived 26 September 2018 at the Wayback Machine
• The characteristics of Korean food