Food is incredibly important in Korean culture. It is very hard to find Korean meals that are not meant to be shared. This is because, historically, having a meal was a time in which family and friends come together to eat. This has been a long standing concept and is continued today. Portion sizes are all meant to be shared and meals are even served in a communal pot. This makes meals a rather fun event here! Having dinner with a group of people is always more fun than eating alone.
The concept of a meal is much different in Korea than it is in the USA. In the States, a burger and fries is considered a meal. In Korea, this is not the case. A meal in Korea is not complete without rice and side dishes. Some people will not even feel full unless they eat rice with their food! Side dishes are also important to the idea of a meal. Traditionally, there should be five different side dishes, or banchan (반찬), made from different vegetables and greens. Each side dish should also be a different color (yellow, blue/green, white, red and black). The belief that a meal is not a meal unless it contains these elements is so strong in Korea that it has even changed the way that fast food places and restaurants name their dishes. For example, there is no such thing as a BigMac Meal at McDonald's. Rather than calling it a meal, they are called sets!
