Banchan

Who does not like Mediterranean  Mazza?  The array of salads with its wide variety of tastes and colors is a wonderful appetizer.  Adi loves mazza.  Perhaps because it reminds her of home.  Korea has a similar offering called Banchan, which are served as the accompaniment to the main dish, which is rice.  The number of small plates on the table can range between five or six, in a home-cooked dinner, to dozens in a fancy restaurant.  The dishes vary in taste between savory and extremely spicy, and their texture can be crunchy, soft, or like the marinated crab, a hybrid.  Even though Korea is a meat lover's paradise, most of the banchan are vegetables.   The appropriate complement to this meal is either beer or Makkoli, a fizzy rice wine.  The photo demonstrates the set menu ($12 per person) in a popular restaurant near our apartment.  The highlight of this meal (except for the rice), is fermented soy-bean stew, served in a searing-hot black stone bowl (Think miso soup on steroids).  Needless to say, we became regular customers.

P.S.  Do not be misled by the symmetrical setting.  Except for the fried fish, each dish is unique.  See map below.  

 1.  Mushroom

 2.  Squash

 3.  Kimchi

 4.Potato

 5.  Green onion

 6.  Fried tofu

 7.  Rice

 8.  Makkoli

 9.  Stir fried kimchi

10.  Cabbage salad

11.  Potato noodle (+vegetables)

12.  Pork BBQ

13.  Fermented soy stew

14.  Fried fish

15.  Seasoned clam

 16  Marinated crab

     17..Steamed cabbage\ 

     18. Egg fried tofu

     19.  Mountain vegetables

     20.  Bell-flower root

     21  Egg plant

     22.  Bean sprouts

     23.  Spinach

     24.  Sweet potato stalk.