What is crab?
Crab is eaten all over the world, but it is also popular in Japan, where it is commonly enjoyed during celebrations with family, friends, and in business dining.
Crab sashimi (fresh raw seafood dish) and hot pots are some of the ways to eat crab unique to Japan.
People in Japan have been eating crab since ancient times, and they were even mentioned in a waka poem (Japanese traditional poetry) composed by an aristocrat about 1300 years ago.
It is said that red king crab, snow crab, and other types of crab started to be consumed in the 19th century.
Varieties of crab
A variety of dishes are made with crab in Japan, some of which are explained below.
Sashimi (fresh raw seafood dish)
Fresh crab has a rich sweetness and flavor, making them delicious with just a sprinkle of soy sauce or ponzu (citrus soy sauce).
Enhance the crab's natural sweetness and flavor by avoiding using too much soy sauce or ponzu.
As hairy crab and snow crab have delicious crab paste, try eating the meat with it when having as sashimi.
Kani-shabu (shabu-shabu hot pot with crab)
We recommend kani-shabu, a crab version of shabu-shabu hot pot, for a dish to enjoy the flavor and texture of crab.
When stirring the meat, make sure to remove it from the water to avoid overcooking.
The sweetness of the crab will fill your mouth when you taste the precious meat.
Kani-nabe (crab hot pot)
One of the most popular crab dishes in winter in Japan.
You can enjoy not only crab, but also seasonal vegetables.
The vegetables will taste increasingly better as they soak up the broth from the crab.
After finishing the hot pot, it is popular among Japanese people to eat zosui (rice porridge) with the remaining soup.
Yaki-gani (grilled crab)
A simple dish of crab grilled on a shichirin (charcoal grill) or stove.
By grilling it, you can enjoy the natural flavors and aroma of the crab.
By stuffing the crab shell with crab paste and grilling it, you can savor the rich, creamy taste and flavor of the paste.
Kinds of crab
Some popular crabs available in Japan are explained below.
Tarabagani (red king crab)
This crab is caught in Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan, and its season is from March to November.
While the meat has a light flavor, the plump texture of the meat packed into the thick legs makes it quite satisfying to eat.
The firm and satisfying meat of red king crab is delicious either simply grilled or in a pot.
Kegani (hairy crab)
This crab is caught in Hokkaido and the Tohoku region in northern Japan and can be enjoyed all year round.
The meat has a delicate, sweet taste and is suitable for simple dishes without many steps, like steaming or boiling in salt water.
It is loved by many people, as the crab has plenty of rich tasting crab paste.
Zuwaigani (snow crab)
A popular crab, consumed in winter.
The meat is especially sweet and delicious.
It can be enjoyed in several ways, including boiled, in kaninabe hot pot, shabu-shabu hot pot, or fresh as sashimi.
The snow crab is called differently depending on its place of origin.
Matsubagani and Echizengani are types of snow crab that are caught in the western part of Japan, from northern Kyoto to northern Hyogo, Tottori, and Shimane Prefectures, whereas Echizengani is caught in Fukui Prefecture in the Hokuriku region of Japan.
Hanasakigani (blue king crab)
This crab is mainly in season from summer to fall and is mostly caught along the Sea of Okhotsk coast of Hokkaido.
It has a deep sweetness and rich flavor, with an especially juicy yet firm meat.
The crab is popular as an ingredient for sashimi and sushi, and its crab paste, with its concentrated flavor, is also highly recommended.
How to eat Kani-nabe
Ways to enjoy the taste of crab meat and broth in a kaninabe hotpot are explained below.
Boil broth
Put broth made from kombu kelp and seafood in a pot and heat.
Add ingredients
When the broth comes to a boil, add the crab and other ingredients (vegetables, tofu, etc.).
Make sure to cook the crab in a short period of time to avoid overcooking and prevent the meat from becoming tough.
Eat
Take the cooked crab from the pot and serve on a small serving plate to eat.
Generally, chopsticks are used to gently loosen the meat.
For the legs, you can use a special fork to remove the leg meat more easily.
Insert the tip of the fork into the open part of a leg or claw and gently pull out the meat.
Turn the fork slightly to remove the firm meat.
For the thin or crooked parts, push out the meat with the fork to remove it easily.
Eat other ingredients
Take the vegetables, tofu, and other ingredients from the pot and serve them on small plates to eat.
Vegetables and tofu simmered with the crab also soak up its flavors and offer another delicious taste.
Make shime (finishing dish)
After finishing the crab and vegetables, add udon noodles or rice and eggs to the remaining broth and simmer.
Udon noodles or zosui (rice porridge) made with broth at the end of a hot pot is called shime in Japanese.
The flavor of crab in the broth in this step makes the finishing dish even more delicious.
You can enjoy the flavor of crab more by cooking it with a little meat left in the pot.
People’s reaction when eating
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