Side dish
Ganjang-gejang (Raw Blue Crab Cured in Soy Sauce)
Live blue crab cured — not cooked — in a soy brine that has been boiled and then chilled completely. The brine goes on cold and is re-boiled once after a couple of days, and only marine blue crab is used, never freshwater crab. Read the safety notes first.
Rösti
A Swiss potato cake of coarsely grated potato pressed into a pan and fried golden and crisp. Golden and crunchy outside, tender and comforting within. Once a Swiss farmhouse breakfast, it becomes a full meal with eggs, bacon, or sausage.
German Potato Salad
A southern-German potato salad (Kartoffelsalat) dressed while warm with vinegar, mustard, and bacon instead of mayo. The tangy, savory dressing soaks right into the potatoes. A hearty side that pairs beautifully with sausages and schnitzel.
Kongnamul Muchim (Seasoned Soybean Sprouts)
A staple Korean side dish — crunchy soybean sprouts quickly blanched and tossed with sesame oil, garlic, and salt. Ten minutes and a few ingredients, it works as a rice side and as the topping for bibimbap and gukbap alike.
Mashed Potatoes
Fluffy boiled potatoes mashed smooth with butter and milk into a creamy side. A perfect partner for steak, chicken, and gravy, and a Thanksgiving table staple. A handful of ingredients, and almost impossible to get wrong.
Elote (Street Corn)
Mexico's beloved street snack: grilled corn slathered with mayo and crema, rolled in crumbly cotija cheese, and dusted with chili powder and lime. Creamy, salty, tangy, and spicy in every bite — served on a stick to eat by hand.
Oi Muchim (Spicy Cucumber Salad)
Crisp cucumber tossed in a sweet-sour-spicy gochugaru dressing — a refreshing Korean summer side. No cooking and ready in 10 minutes, it perks up an off appetite and sits perfectly alongside grilled meats.
Patatas Bravas
Crisp-edged, fluffy-centered potatoes drizzled with a spicy brava sauce and garlic aioli — Spain's signature tapa. The bar snack you'd order with a beer, easy to make at home in the oven or air fryer.
Gamja Jorim (Soy-Braised Potatoes)
Cubed potatoes braised down in a sweet-savory soy sauce — a classic Korean side. Glossy on the outside, fluffy within, and just salty-sweet enough to make a bowl of rice disappear. Shishito peppers add color and aroma.
Myeolchi-bokkeum (Stir-fried Anchovies)
A classic Korean side dish of small dried anchovies tossed in a soy-and-syrup glaze. Dry-toast them first and add the syrup off the heat, and you get a savory-sweet banchan that stays crisp when cooled.
Sigeumchi-namul (Seasoned Spinach)
A classic Korean seasoned-vegetable side of lightly blanched spinach tossed with garlic, soy sauce, and sesame oil. A healthy 5-minute dish — great as a side or a bibimbap topping.
Dubu-jorim (Braised Tofu)
A classic Korean side dish of pan-fried tofu braised in a sweet-and-spicy soy sauce. Made from everyday ingredients in one pan in 20 minutes — the saucy bits are great over rice.
Eomuk-bokkeum (Stir-fried Fish Cake)
A classic Korean side dish of fish cake stir-fried with vegetables in a sweet soy sauce. Made from everyday ingredients in one pan in 10 minutes, and just as good cold for lunchboxes.
Gyeranjjim (Steamed Egg)
Korean steamed egg — beaten egg blended with stock and gently steamed in an earthenware pot until soft and puffed. Served bubbling at the table, it's a universally loved everyday side.
Kimchi (Napa Cabbage Kimchi)
Korea's iconic fermented dish — napa cabbage salted, then layered with a paste of gochugaru, garlic, ginger, and fermented seafood, and left to ferment. Crisp when fresh, deep and tangy when aged; the foundation of Korean cooking.
Gyeranmari (Rolled Omelette)
Korean rolled omelette — beaten egg mixed with carrot and scallion, poured in stages over low heat and rolled into a thick log. A lunchbox and side-dish staple: simple, but all about the technique.
Japchae (Glass Noodle Stir-fry)
Chewy sweet-potato glass noodles tossed with colorful vegetables and beef in a sweet-savory soy seasoning — Korea's classic celebration dish, a fixture at holidays and birthday tables.