Kong Jaban (Korean Sweet Black Beans)

This is a sweet and savory banchan that I consider a bap-dodok, or “rice-robber,” meaning it is so delicious that your rice will be gone in no time. It was a favorite of mine as a child, because it is both irresistibly sweet and fun to chew. The beans are cooked with soy sauce and dashi (or water) until they are quite soft, then sweetened with sugar. Canned beans will not work in this dish, because they will overcook and turn to mush. The sesame oil and sesame seeds add a nuttiness that ties the inherent flavor of the beans to the other ingredients. Even when I don’t have much of an appetite, this banchan always tempts me into finishing a large bowl of hot rice.