Korean Dining Culture: Kimchi, Refrigerators, and the 12-Dish Table

Korean Eating Habits

Koreans are often said to have large appetites.

In records left by foreign missionaries who came to Korea during the late Joseon Dynasty (about 100 years ago), there are many stories about Koreans eating significantly more than the Japanese, for instance, and about their astonishingly large meals.

Even today, Western-style course meals often feel insufficient for the average Korean appetite.

 

Why don’t Koreans gain weight, then?

Compared to Westerners, Asians generally consume less fatty food. Foreigners who live in Korea, especially in Seoul, often say, "With so many stairs and uphill roads, there’s no time to gain weight!" This is quite different from the lifestyle in spacious countries like the U.S., Canada, or Australia, where cars are the main mode of transportation.

 

 

What does a typical Korean meal look like?

A typical Korean meal consists of rice (bap) accompanied by various side dishes (ban-chan).
Ban-chan refers to foods served alongside rice to complement it. Unlike pickles served with pasta or pizza, ban-chan is essential to the meal. Eating plain rice without any ban-chan is almost unthinkable for Koreans.

Meals often include soup (guk) or stew (jji-gae), which provide broth to sip on, and a variety of ban-chan to eat with the rice.

These ban-chan can range from main dishes like fish or meat to simpler options like seasoned vegetables (na-mul mu-chim) and kimchi.
Some ban-chan—like stir-fried anchovies (myeol-chi bok-eum), kimchi, or soy-braised beef (jang-jo-rim)—are prepared in large batches and eaten over time. Others, like freshly seasoned vegetables or lightly fermented cabbage (geot-jeo-ri), are made right before the meal.

In Korea, the phrase “how many cheop?” refers to the number of side dishes served with a meal. Notably, kimchi is not counted as a ban-chan; it’s a default.

Historically, Korean meals reflected social class:

• The king (im-geum-nim) had a 12-cheop meal.
• The noble class (yang-ban) enjoyed 9-cheop meals.
• Commoners typically had simpler 3- or 5-cheop meals with mostly vegetables.

'cheop' is not a course meal. Koreans don't traditionally eat in courses—all the dishes, including rice, soup, side dishes, and stew, are served together on one table.

 

Korean Refrigeration Culture

To store these side dishes and keep them fresh, Korea has developed advanced refrigeration technology.
While Westerners tend to stockpile non-refrigerated foods, Koreans rely heavily on refrigerated and frozen items.

It’s common for households to have multiple refrigerators. Many even own a kimchi refrigerator, which is specifically designed to store kimchi but can also hold other staples like rice, fruits, and vegetables.

For example, my in-laws’ house has four refrigerators for just two people:

• Two regular refrigerators
• One freezer
• One kimchi refrigerator

My parents’ house? Three refrigerators:

• One regular refrigerator
• Two kimchi refrigerators

There’s even a famous meme that goes like this:

A: 한국인들은 김치를 위한 냉장고가 따로 있다는 게 사실이야? B: 모든 한국인이 그런건 아닌데 나는 있어 A: 지금 이걸 물어본 게 네가 10번째인데 다들 너랑 같은 대답을 했어

 

 

Foreigner: Is it true Koreans have separate refrigerators just for kimchi?
Me: Not every Korean, but I do.
Foreigner: You’re the 10th person I’ve asked, and they all said the same thing.

 

 

It’s true—almost every household has a kimchi refrigerator. 

 

So, China, if you want to claim kimchi as your own, you’d better beat us at the kimchi refrigerator game first. We eat kimchi at every meal.
Some Almost all Koreans even eat kimchi with curry, ramen, pasta, pizza, or fried chicken. Most restaurants serve kimchi as a standard side dish. 😂

 

 

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Glossary of Korean Terms

1. Cheop (첩): Refers to the number of side dishes served in a meal. not a course meal.
2. Guk (국): Soup, often served as part of a Korean meal.
3. Jji-gae (찌개): Stew, usually thicker and richer than soup.
4. Na-mul mu-chim (나물무침): Seasoned vegetable side dishes.
5. Kimchi (김치): Fermented vegetables, primarily cabbage, seasoned with spices.
6. Myeol-chi bok-eum (멸치볶음): Stir-fried anchovies, a popular side dish.
7. Jang-jo-rim (장조림): Soy-braised beef or pork, often served in small portions.
8. Im-geum-nim (임금님): The king, historically associated with the 12-cheop meal.
9. Yang-ban (양반): The noble class during the Joseon Dynasty.
10. Kimchi refrigerator (김치냉장고): A refrigerator designed to store kimchi and other fresh ingredients.

 

 

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한국인의 식습관 한국인은 식사량이 많다고 합니다.

 

조선말(100여년 전) 한국에 온 외국인 선교사들이 남긴 기록을 보면, 일본인에 비해서도 많이 먹는다는 등의 한국인의 엄청난 식사량에 대한 이야기가 많다. 실제로 서양 코스요리는 한국인의 식사량에 한없이 모자라단 느낌이 있음.

 

그런데 왜 살이 안찌냐?? 동양인은 서양에 비해 기름진 음식을 덜 먹는 편이고, 외국인들이 한국 와서, 특히 서울에서 살아보면 계단도 많고 오르막길도 많아서 살 찔 틈이 없겠더라, 이런 말을 하기도 함. 차타고 이동하는 땅 넓은 미국캐나다, 호주와는 좀 다르죠.

 

한국인의 일반적인 식사란?

쌀밥과 함께 반찬을 먹습니다. 반찬(Ban-chan)이란 쌀밥을 먹기 위해 곁들이는 음식인데 파스타나 피자를 먹을 때 먹는 피클과는 좀 다릅니다. 쌀밥은 반찬 없이 먹기가 힘드니까요. 없어도 되는 성질의 것이 아님.

국(Guk)이나 찌개(jji-gae)가 있어서 국물을 떠먹고 여러 종류의 반찬을 집어먹으며 쌀밥을 먹습니다.

이 반찬에는, 메인요리라고 할 만한 생선이나 고기로 만든 음식이 있고 나물무침, 김치 등의 반찬이 있게됨. 반찬은 멸치볶음, 김치나 장조림과 같이 한번에 많이 만들어놓고 먹는 것도 많고 나물무침이나 겉절이처럼 즉시 만들어 먹기도 함.

한국에서 몇 첩 반상. 이라는 말은 반찬이 몇 개인 밥상. 이라는 뜻인데 이 때 김치는 반찬에 포함되지 않습니다. 디폴트값임.

 

왕인 '임금님'은 12첩, 귀족층인 '양반'은 9첩 반상, 일반 서민들은 나물 등으로 3첩, 5첩 반상이었다고 함.

 

이런 반찬을 만들고 만든 반찬을 보관하기 위해 한국에는 냉장고가 발달되어 있음.

 

내가 봐선 서양인들은 냉장,냉동보관이 필요없는 식료품을 쌓아놓는 대신 한국은 냉장냉동이 필요한 식료품을 쟁이는 편.

일반인들의 집에도 냉장고는 물론 냉동 식품도 발달되어 있어서 냉동고 있는 집이 많고. 김치냉장고라는 것도 있음.

김치보관을 위한 냉장고인데 쌀과 과일, 채소 등의 식재료를 보관하기 위한 것.

 

실제로 나는 진짜 서민인데 우리 시댁에는 냉장고 4개임. 식구는 두 사람. 대신 자식들 먹이려고 생선, 고기 등이 냉장고에 잔뜩 저장되어 있음. 냉장고 2개, 냉동고 1개. 김치냉장고 1개.

우리 친정도 냉장고 3개. 냉장고, 김치냉장고2개.

 

 

그러니 중국은 김치가 니네거라 우길려면 김치냉장고부터 이겨야 될거야. 우린 매 끼니마다 김치를 먹거든. 카레도 김치랑 먹고 라면도 김치랑 먹고 파스타, 피자, 치킨도 김치랑 먹는 사람들이 있어. 거의 모든 식당에서는 김치가 기본이라구. ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

 

 

korean dining culture