
South Korea is roughly the size of Indiana (with 7.5 times its total population), and the 27th most populated country as of the 2016 census (one of the top 10 most populated cities is its capital, Seoul, hovering around 10 million and counting). It is divided into nine provinces and seven metropolitan cities, creating diverse dialects and regional cuisine. For a country that has only recently experienced a culinary boom stateside, there is a deep, rich history beyond the bevy of infamous green soju bottles and all-you-can-eat barbecue (which is a Westernized concept, by the way, since quality meat was, and still is, a premium item). And while Koreatown is one of the most densely packed districts within Los Angeles County, with more retail signage written in Korean Hangul and waves of Korean brands opening U.S. locations every day, the vastness of Korean cuisine is still unbeknownst to many locally.
Korean Hangul. | Photo: Courtesy of Antonio Diaz
Preview Ep. 5, Banchan: Korean Food Beyond BBQ
Similar to Seoul itself, there are countless hidden gems and small businesses in every corner, and many families have planted roots and stayed in operation since the 80s and 90s. Through the turbulent Los Angeles riots and the rebuilding of communities, Korean immigrants have persevered and made an impact in shaping Los Angeles culture between Vermont and Crenshaw, from Beverly down to Olympic. Los Angeles has been a home away from home for many Koreans, and stylistic interpretations such as L.A. Galbi (a specific cut of short ribs) are now popular in Seoul as well.
Beyond the flashy 24-hour caf s and KBBQ restaurants lies an underbelly of true regional cuisine, ranging from the traditional North Korean influences behind cold nengmyun noodles and handmade mandoo dumplings, to the oceanic reverence in eondaegu jorim (braised black cod), bajirak kalgooksu (little neck clams with hand-cut noodles), and jeonbokjook (fresh abalone congee). And there are plenty of soups and stews for all seasons - think samgyetang (Cornish hen stuffed with glutinous rice, ginseng, chestnut, dates, garlic), yukgyejang (spicy shredded brisket with bean sprouts, scallions, onions), and cheonggukjang (fermented soy bean stew) - which are traditionally consumed during hot summers.
And let us not forget janchi, the traditional feast cuisine when grandmothers, mothers, aunts and sisters can really show off their skills. The likes of beautiful jeon (thin, savory pancakes made of seafood, mountainous greens or potato), a colorful array of banchan (small side dishes accompanied in every meal), and dduk (beloved rice cakes, often earthy and lightly sweet) decorate a family-style table setting.
Family-style table setting. | Photo: Courtesy of Antonio Diaz
Regionality and cultural tradition play large factors in what Koreans eat, how the food is prepared, and when it is consumed. But one thing is clear: Korean cuisine is, by definition, true family-style. It's not heaps of food like a medieval buffet; rather, a communal gathering and sharing of entrees and sides, serving elders first, and refilling small plates and empty glasses with a sense of innate hospitality. It is a universal commonality that all ethnic cultures express history, tradition and celebration through food, and I dare say that every L.A. resident who has driven through K-Town has experienced it in one shape or form. That hospitality is represented by many traditions, but perhaps most evidently through the customary banchan service.
More From The Migrant Kitchen
Tracing the History of Middle-Eastern Cuisine and Setting Roots in Los Angeles
The Poetry of Mast'o Musir
To Love and Serve Mole Poblano
1 of 4
next
Banchan is an important part of Korean cuisine, from the most humble, simple dinner made at home to a full spread seen at janchi ceremonial celebrations and royal court cuisine. It is absolutely indispensable and always - always - accompanies any and every meal. Even pubs and street food stalls will offer at least one or two small banchans because it is a definitive part of Korean cuisine. The larger the variety, the more it showcases a quality of care, service and economic stability.
Since Korea is located between mountainous terrains and a peninsula surrounded by three seas, it has a highly seasonal cuisine with a heavy focus on seafood, grains and vegetables (meat became more popular and accessible post-Mongol invasion and later with 19th century world trade). Historically, the strictly vegetarian Buddhist diet dictated much of the Goryeo dynasty (10th to 14th centuries), and practices of fermentation and pickling were seen as early as the prehistoric Three Kingdoms era. To this day, four full seasons are enjoyed in Korea, and it is natural for people to cook and eat based on the time of year (New Year, Lunar New Year and Chuseok Thanksgiving during autumn harvest are most significant).
The best way to understand banchan is by general categories of ingredients and preparation. An infinite variety of banchan can be grouped into the following culinary techniques: kimchi and jangajji (fermentation and pickling), namul muchim (lightly seasoned ingredients, in particular, vegetables, roots, sprouts), bokkeum (lightly saut ed or stir fried), jorim (braised in seasoned broth or sauce), and jjim (steamed). There is also a variety of jun (thinly pan-fried savory pancakes and small meat patties) that are associated with larger feasts rather than an everyday casual meal. Three in particular will always appear, no matter how great or humble the table setting: kimchi, namul muchim and jorim.
Korea has a highly seasonal cuisine with a heavy focus on seafood, grains and vegetables. | Photo: Antonio Diaz
Kimchi
Kimchi is the traditional side dish most commonly associated with Korean cuisine. It is the national dish of Korea, with a str
Most recent headlines
09/11/2025
Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...
18/10/2025
New England Sports Network (NESN) has chosen Harmonic, working with Astound Business Solutions, as its enterprise technology partner to transform primary distri...
18/10/2025
NEW ORLEANS, La. In the run-up to the start of the NBA season, WVUE-TV and Gray Local Media have announced a deal with DirecTV that will greatly expand access t...
18/10/2025
Berklee Celebrates 40 Years of the Fall Together Concert Faculty composers Bob Pilkington and Greg Hopkins are among the featured artists for this year's ...
17/10/2025
NEP Group Receives New Equity Investment From 26North Partners LP, Co-InvestorsCarlyle remains the largest shareholder as the company prepares for the futureBy ...
17/10/2025
Apple Lands Five-Year Deal for F1 Distribution in the U.S.Besides airing on Apple TV, the sport will be amplified on other Apple servicesBy Ken Kerschbaumer, Ed...
17/10/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Marshall Electronics' Bernie Keach on the Future of PTZ Camera...
17/10/2025
L2 Productions' REMI Facility in Austin Can Produce Content From AnywhereMusic festivals, sports events are produced via flypacks and remote control roomsBy...
17/10/2025
By Lucy Spicer
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival...
17/10/2025
(L-R) Christopher Meyer, Addison Timlin, Cooper Raiff, Lili Reinhart, Alyah Chan...
17/10/2025
M sica e arte se uniram em uma noite especial na semana passada na ZIV Gallery, ...
17/10/2025
Music and art came together for one special night last week at ZIV Gallery, an i...
17/10/2025
Spotify and FC Barcelona are extending our partnership through 2030, continuing a collaboration that's redefining how fans, players, and artists connect. Th...
17/10/2025
MURRIETA, Calif. The Sports Fishing Championship (SFC) has deployed DigitalGlue's creative.space storage platform to streamline video production by centrali...
17/10/2025
BELLEVUE, Wash. Football continued to cement its reputation as a bulwark of TV advertising in Q3 2025 with new data from iSpot that showed both the NFL and coll...
17/10/2025
The Sports Fishing Championship (SFC), the premier competitive saltwater fishing series, has transformed its production workflow by adopting creative.space, the...
17/10/2025
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning multi-camera video productions and remote contribution solutions, announces the release of StudioPro Version 4, ...
17/10/2025
Although the annual Grammy Awards celebration is best known for recognizing achievements in the recording industry, the show often proves a visual spectacle as ...
17/10/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leading provider of software-defined data storage and data services, has promoted Alex Dunfey to Chief Technology Officer (CTO) from his for...
17/10/2025
The University of Arizona (UofA) has significantly upgraded its broadcast communication infrastructure with the integration of Riedel Communications' advanc...
17/10/2025
Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced that New England Sports Network (NESN), owned by Fenway Sports Group and Delaware North, has selected Harmonic as its en...
17/10/2025
Austin PBS has recently upgraded its facility-wide communications infrastructure, deploying Clear-Com 's Eclipse HX, FreeSpeak II beltpacks, and V-Series ...
17/10/2025
ZEISS announces an open call for the closed BETA testing phase of CinCraft Virtual Lens Technology, the innovative digital tool that brings authentic lens chara...
17/10/2025
Situated in the town of Kokkola, Centria University of Applied Sciences offers higher education across five core fields: engineering, business, social and healt...
17/10/2025
Public information channel in Georgia, USA, to implement a powerful, simple, and cost-effective playout automation platform.
Pebble, the leading automation, co...
17/10/2025
HBO Max is reporting that it has launched in 15 new markets, including Bangladesh, Cambodia, Macau, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Ukraine, boosting the streaming serv...
17/10/2025
Netflix said it will make a major push into video podcasts, inking a wide-ranging deal with Spotify through which it will offer 16 podcasts in the U.S. starting...
17/10/2025
Lexington, Ky. As part of a push to highlight its advanced advertising capabilities, Viamedia has launched a new AI-powered ad tech platform and officially rebr...
17/10/2025
NEW YORK QuickLink has announced the release of StudioPro Version 4, which the company is calling the most significant upgrade yet to its flagship video product...
17/10/2025
NEW YORK and CUPERTINO, Calif. Apple and NBCUniversal said they will sell Apple TV and Peacock streaming bundles to U.S. subscribers starting Oct. 20....
17/10/2025
Q&A with Boston Conservatory Choral Conductor Stephen Spinelli How his research into the lost manuscripts of composer Florence Price led to a Grammy-winning c...
17/10/2025
Back to All News
Netflix ISP Speed Index for September 2025
Product
17 October 2025
Global
Link copied to clipboard
This month, 1% of Internet Service Pro...
17/10/2025
NVIDIA's on the ground at Open Source AI Week. Stay tuned for a celebration ...
17/10/2025
AI has ignited a new industrial revolution.
NVIDIA and TSMC are working togethe...
17/10/2025
Gexcon is a trusted safety and risk management partner for complex, high hazard environments. ICG has been a dedicated marketing partner to Gexcon since 2018, b...
17/10/2025
Here is your host, Patrick Kielty!
After an incredible breakthrough year, Kingf...
16/10/2025
SVG Sit-Down: FUJIFILM Execs on GFX ETERNA 55 Camera, Importance of Shallow-Dept...
16/10/2025
Squash's Most Ambitious Broadcast Production To Be Deployed at Comcast Busin...
16/10/2025
Main Street Sports Group Inks Deal With Omaha Productions, Launches Original-Con...
16/10/2025
A Historic Precursor? FIFA, HBS, DAZN Offer an Inside Look at Production of FIFA...
16/10/2025
Prime Video Offers Sneak Peak at New NBA on Prime StudioThe massive 13,000-sq-ft, two-story studio features a LED regulation half court and hoopBy Jason Dachman...
16/10/2025
SVG Remote Production Forum Draws Record Crowd for Visit to PGA TOUR Studios, De...
16/10/2025
BitFire's Ben Grafchik on How Growing Cloud Workflows Are Impacting the Live...
16/10/2025
AI technology is advancing quickly, bringing both new creative possibilities and...
16/10/2025
In 2017, Imani Ellis launched CultureCon, a conference that's become a must-attend event for more than 10,000 diverse creatives and Black professionals to c...
16/10/2025
It might still be a little early to break out the tinsel and mistletoe, but Spotify's already queuing up some holiday magic. This year's Spotify Singles...
16/10/2025
Earlier this year, our in-house publishing imprint, Spotify Audiobooks, put out ...
16/10/2025
VAMPIRE has been integrated onto GM Defenses Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV), providing a mobile solution to effectively and affordably counter small drone threat...
16/10/2025
The AgilePod mounted on the host aircraft....
16/10/2025
60% say infotainment systems are a critical purchasing or leasing consideration,...