Korean diet and meals center around rice and side dishes called "ban-chan." The dishes have no commonality in ingrident, although the use of vegetables including roots and seaweed are not uncommon. Typically ban-chan are cold, since most of Korean cuisine in centered around pickleing or "fermintating" such as in the case of Kimchi. The center bowls present the most typical warm "chigae" which can be most closely related with a type of soup or stew. As seem by the spoons, Korean culture shares many of the dishes and yes double dipping is allowed.