Korean barbecue
The side dishes are the other fun part. The raw, sliced meats come to the table pre-marinated (usually in soy sauce, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, and sugar) and share the spotlight with a slew of high-flavor accompaniments. Known as banchan, these allow customizing your Korean BBQ to your taste preferences. On the table, there is a bowl of funky kimchi made with cabbage or radishes, some spicy gochujang (fermented chile pepper paste), a dish of sweet-and-sour cucumbers, a fresh watercress or mung bean salad, a bowl of steamed rice, a dish of sesame salt, a savory dipping sauce dotted with chopped Asian pears, and some crisp lettuce leaves for wrapping it all up. It’s like a taco bar with lettuce as the wraps. The many, varied garnishes bring the grilled meat alive. Grill the strips of meat over the charcoal embers just until they are charred by fire and kissed with smoke, then wrap them up with a bit of sweet, a shot of salty, a spark of spice, a lick of acidity, some crunch, and a boatload of savory for what eventually becomes a minor feast of culinary fireworks. There are many other side dishes, some are kongnamul muchim (seasoned bean sprouts), Oi muchim (spicy cucumber salad), Musaengchae (Spicy Radish Salad), Sukju Namul (Seasoned Bean Sprouts), Gamja-salad (potato salad) and so much more side dishes.