Banchan
The small side dishes served with rice at a Korean meal and shared by the table.
Also: panchan
Banchan are the many small plates that surround the rice and soup in a Korean meal. Kimchi is almost always among them. Others include seasoned vegetables called namul, braised tofu, small dried fish, pancakes and pickles. They are placed in the middle of the table for everyone to share. In restaurants in Korea they come with the meal at no extra charge and are refilled on request. Most are made ahead and served cold or at room temperature.