Side Dishes in East Asia

Jeon, also known as Korean pancakes, represents a number of pancake-like dishes in Korean cuisine that are often served as appetizers, side dishes, or consumed as snacks. Although jeon are typically prepared in savory versions, there are ... READ MORE

Century egg is a Chinese delicacy made by preserving duck, quail, or chicken eggs in a saline solution that consists of salt, clay, and sometimes ash, quicklime, or rice hulls. The solution causes the yolk to develop a creamy texture, and it chang... READ MORE

Mantou are Chinese steamed buns that are usually prepared plain, without any filling on the inside. It is sometimes served as a side dish, although it is more commonly consumed as it is. Mantou has a round, flattened shape, and it is a staple food... READ MORE

Namul is a widely accepted term used to refer to Korean vegetable side dishes, which can include green leafy vegetables, starchy root varieties, sprouts, green beans, and occasionally even fruit. The ingredients are used in raw, pickled, fried, sa... READ MORE

Thinly sliced Japanese pickles collectively called tsukemono (lit. pickled things) are an indispensable part of almost every washoku, a traditional Japanese meal. Tsukemono can be served as an accompaniment or garnish for meals, but it ca... READ MORE

Gim gui is a simple, yet delicious Korean side dish consisting of crispy and salty roasted seaweed. The dish is a common item in numerous bento boxes due to its great flavor and hefty doses of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and protein. Many people li... READ MORE

Kiritanpo is a traditional dish with origins in the Akita prefecture. It is made from cooked, half-smashed rice that is placed on a skewer, shaped into cylinders, then toasted over an open fire. The dish is traditionally consumed from autumn to sp... READ MORE

Commonly eaten as a side dish or an appetizer, agedashidofu is a popular dish consisting of deep-fried tofu that is typically served with tentsuyu dipping sauce, made with dashi, soy sauce, and mirin. It is a well known, old dish, and the recipe f... READ MORE

One of the favorite Japanese street food varieties is a serving of tender grilled squid known as ikayaki. It can employ different types of squid in varying sizes. Serving styles usually range from chopped squid rings to skewered whole pieces. Squi... READ MORE

Geotjeori is a fresh variety of kimchi. Just like classic kimchi, it is usually prepared with napa cabbage (baechu), but unlike the more popular version, geotjeori is not fermented. It is typically made with tender and salted cabbage leav... READ MORE

In its simplest form, this South Korean pancake incorporates sliced kimchi, preferably ripe version, with a simple flour batter. The dish belongs to a wide group of jeon—savory Korean pancakes—and it is easily adapted with various ingr... READ MORE

Seasoned soybean sprouts are a classic side dish in traditional Korean cuisine. The sprouts are rinsed and shortly cooked, but should remain firm and crispy. They are then mixed with various ingredients which typically include soy sauce, scallions... READ MORE

Hiyayakko, consumed mostly on hot summer days, is a block of soft tofu that is served cold and topped with finely minced scallions, fresh ginger, and flavorful dried flakes of bonito, a type of oily fish from the mackerel family. The dish... READ MORE

Tororo is a unique Japanese side dish that can also be used as an ingredient when added to other dishes. It consists of grated yam and is rich in vitamins and minerals. Traditionally, tororo is combined with wasabi, dashi, or spring onions. It is ... READ MORE

Gamjajeon is a type of Korean pancake prepared with grated or puréed potatoes, while some varieties may include scallions, chives, carrots, or onions. The pancakes are usually small and round and should be pan-fried until perfectly crispy o... READ MORE

Goma-ae is a popular Japanese side dish consisting of vegetables dressed with sesame sauce. The most popular goma-ae variety is made with spinach that is topped with sesame seeds and miso paste. The name of the dish is derived from two words: ... READ MORE

Ohitashi is a traditional dish and a technique in which vegetables (and sometimes seafood) are boiled and immersed in a dashi-based sauce. Nowadays, the dish is usually prepared with spinach that's boiled, topped with dried bonito flakes (kats... READ MORE

Stir-fried octopus is a classic Korean banchan (side dish). It is usually prepared with a small-sized octopus that is sliced and then fried in a flavorful combination of garlic, ginger, and gochujang chili paste, while other addi... READ MORE

Sigeumchi namul or shigeunchi is a traditional side dish originating from South Korea. This type of namul is prepared with spinach as the key ingredient. The spinach is blanched until slightly crispy and tender. It is then strained and mixed with ... READ MORE

Musaengchae is a traditional side dish (banchan) originating from South Korea. This type of namul is prepared with Korean radish as key ingredient. The radishes are peeled and cut into matchsticks, then seasoned with salt and mixed with a combinat... READ MORE

The chewy taro cake is a savory Chinese delicacy prepared with rice flour and stewed taro roots. In many ways similar to the traditional turnip cake, it usually incorporates diced Chinese sausage, pork, scallions, and mushrooms. Steamed i... READ MORE

Beondegi is a classic South Korean street food consisting of silkworm pupae insects. These tiny animals are usually boiled or steamed and then seasoned before they are served in small cups. Although of an acquired taste, beondegi is available at n... READ MORE

Saengchae is a Korean term used to denote various salads made with sliced fresh vegetables that are coated in a spicy dressing. The most common variety of the dish is made with sliced daikon radish (mu), but cucumber saengchae is also popular, as ... READ MORE

Sukjunamul is a traditional side dish (banchan) originating from South Korea. This type of namul is prepared with mung bean sprouts as key ingredients. The mung bean sprouts are rinsed and blanched until slightly soft, then drained and tossed with... READ MORE

Gaji namul is a traditional side dish originating from South Korea. This type of namul is prepared with a combination of eggplants, garlic, scallions, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. The eggplants a... READ MORE

Jeonggwa is a vast group of Korean-style confectionery that is usually prepared with seeds, sliced fruits, vegetable stems, or roots. The slices are typically doused in sugar or honey-based syrup and are then left to dry until they achieve their c... READ MORE

Shutō is a Japanese dish consisting of fermented bonito entrails which are then finely chopped and combined with honey, mirin, and sake. Traditionally, the dish is followed either by a shot of alcohol or a mouthful of rice. The name of the dish me... READ MORE

The Japanese chikuzenni is a dish which combines chicken and vegetables that are slowly simmered in a flavorful broth infused with soy sauce, mirin, and sake. Originating from the Japanese Fukuoka region, known in the past as Chikuzen, it is usual... READ MORE

Although its name translates to black beans, the Japanese kuro-mame is a dish made with black soybeans cooked in sweet syrup. Slowly simmered alongside sugar and soy sauce, the soybeans soften, attain a glossy dark color, and develop an u... READ MORE

Kongjaban is a traditional side dish (banchan) originating from South Korea. This type of namul is made with black soybeans as key ingredients. The black soybeans are first washed, soaked, and boiled in a combination of soy sauce and sugar until s... READ MORE

Chai tow kway is a traditional dish originating from Chaoshan. The dish usually consists of radish cake (also known as turnip cake) that’s cut into cubes and stir-fried with eggs and seasonings. Radish cake is made with a combination of shre... READ MORE

The Chinese dish known as braised spring bamboo shoots is often seen in the menus of numerous restaurants in the country because it is easy to prepare, high in nutrients, and has a delicious, savory flavor. Spring bamboo shoots are unearthed aroun... READ MORE

Buseot bokkeum is a South Korean side dish (banchan) that is made with stir-fried mushrooms. It is typically made with oyster, shiitake, or button mushrooms, but the choice is optional. The preparation starts with sliced mushrooms that are usually... READ MORE

Qing jiao yu mi is a traditional dish originating from Sichuan. This simple dish is usually made with a combination of sweet corn kernels, green peppers, salt, and oil. The kernels are stripped from the cobs, the pepper is cut into chunks that are... READ MORE

This South Korean dish consists of ground beef that is wrapped with perilla leaves (kkaennip), and the parcels are then coated with flour and egg wash before they are pan-fried. The filling is usually seasoned and enriched with scallions, garlic, ... READ MORE

Mandarin pancakes are traditional Chinese pancakes that are always served with the famous Peking duck. The dough is usually made with a combination of flour, vegetable oil, and boiling water. The flour is mixed with boiling water in order to make ... READ MORE

Nasu dengaku is a traditional dish that's usually served as an accompaniment. It consists of eggplants that are sliced, scored, brushed with a miso glaze, then grilled. The name of the dish literally means miso-glazed eggplant. The glaze is made w... READ MORE

This popular Korean snack consists of thin strips of dried squid (ojingeo chae) that are stir-fried together with gochujang-based chili paste and various additions such as garlic, soy sauce, or rice wine. The spicy snack is often served a... READ MORE

Corn cheese is a traditional drinking snack (anju) and side dish originating from South Korea. The dish is usually made with a combination of fresh corn kernels, mozzarella, mayonnaise, butter, sugar, salt, pepper, and scallions. The ingredients a... READ MORE

Japanese potato salad is a traditional salad that's a staple at izakayas (informal bars), but it's also often prepared at home. Although there are many variations and many ingredients can be added to the salad, it's usually made with a combination... READ MORE

Hê-jîn bah-ôan is a type of Taiwanese dumpling that consists of a mixture of shrimps and meat (usually pork) encased within a thin, soft, and slightly chewy rice flour shell. A Tainan specialty, this shrimp and meat dumpling is t... READ MORE

Ojingeojeot is a traditional squid-based dish originating from South Korea. This preserved squid side dish is usually made with a combination of squid, salt, gochugaru pepper flakes, fish sauce, scallions, garlic, ginger, hot peppers, toasted sesa... READ MORE