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Banchan.jpg · 국립국어원 · CC BY-SA 2.0 kr · Wikimedia Commons

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Banchan logic

How many sides, how they contrast, and what “refill” means.

Heat: mixed · Vegetarian: most are

Contrast, not clones

A table wants something crunchy, something spicy, something leafy, something fermented. You do not need twelve dishes on a Tuesday. Two namul + kimchi + an egg roll is a real Korean dinner next to rice and one stew. Restaurants refill house banchan; that is hospitality, not a challenge to empty the kitchen.