Winter culinary specialties made with Zuwai crab 冬の味覚　蟹

The different varieties of crabs to taste in Japan

Japan is the land of fishing and everything that comes out of its fruitful waters. Crab, "kani" in Japanese, is one of them. There are 4 main varieties, including "zuwai", the star of Japanese crabs.

• Taraba-gani, the king crab of Kamchatka.

This variety is fished for most of the year except for the hottest summer months and in March, in the waters of the Sea of Okhotsk, north of Hokkaido. On the other hand, fishing is authorized in Russia all year round, which makes it possible to consume it thanks to importation. The Taraba-gani crab is very large, more than a meter with legs.

• Ke-gani

This crab has hair all over its body. It is fished in Hokkaido all year round and it is quite small compared to other species. Its taste is very sweet, and it sells well in cans.

• Hanasaki-gani

As its name suggests, this crab comes from Hanasaki, the eastern tip of the island of Hokkaido. Fished from March to September, this crab is rare and its fatty flesh makes it a tasty dish very popular with connoisseurs who have to come to Hokkaido to find it.

• Zuwai-gani, the snow crab

The Zuwai-gani is the inhabitant of the Sea of Japan, living between 200 to 400 meters deep, it is the king of winter for Japanese gourmets. It likes the cold and rough waters of the Sea of Japan, in which it feeds on good plankton to grow to a large size. You have to wait 10 years before you can fish it; a very regulated fishery. It takes place from November 6 to March 20 for males (no longer in demand), and from November 6 to January 10 for females. The sale takes place the same day of fishing. The Japanese come from far away on the coasts to immediately taste this delicious crab with firm flesh.

The name of this crab changes according to the fishing region, for example, it is called Matsuba-gani in Kyoto, but Tsuiyama-gani in Kobe, Kano-gani in Ishikawa, Echizen-gani in Fukui, Oki-matsubagani in Tottori, or again Kobako-gani for female crabs in Kanazawa!

Zuwai-gani, the best crab in the world!

Zuwai-gani crab broke all records. It was sold at the fish market in the port of Tottori for the record sum of two million yen (approximately €17,000), which makes it the most expensive crab sold on our beautiful planet, attested by the Guinness Book of Records. It weighed 1.28 kg.

Zuwai crab is indeed an expensive delicacy, prices usually range between 10,000 and 30,000 yen ($84-$250/77-225€). But of course, the price varies according to the size of the animal and its quality.

Where to eat Zuwai crab? In Kanazawa, you can taste it directly at the Omicho "Omicho ichiba" market, the region's best address.

How to eat crab in Japan?

The simplest and best way to taste a crab is in sashimi, to fully appreciate all the flavors of its inimitable flesh.

But there are also other ways such as steamed, grilled, in nabe (Japanese fondue with vegetables), in shabu-shabu when the flesh is passed for just a moment in a broth, or even in tempura.

We shouldn't forget Kani-miso "tomalli", which, like lobster, is the greenish natural juice of the crab with a pungent yet pleasing taste.

And if you want to combine its subtle taste with the pleasant, in Kinosaki, you are offered onsen and crab with meals in some establishments.

Some very good places to eat crab in Japan

Usually, in a restaurant, a menu with crab will cost you at least 15,000 yen ($125/114€) per person.

You have to go there to get the quality and freshness of the product, which is essential because the crab must still be alive just before being cooked and served to the customer. This product rarely leaves its fishing region so you will have to go to the major ports on the Hokuriku coast, as in the prefectures of Ishikawa and Hyogo, or the cities of Fukui and Tottori.

At Daimyo Jaya, a renowned restaurant in the center of Kanazawa, the chef buys live crabs directly from the port fish market. It offers 10 ways to cook crab of the kanô variety, between November 7 and March 20. The menu is then only 13,000 yen ($109/99€) per person!

A good address in Tottori: Kani Yoshi (not far from JR Tottori station). This crab restaurant was awarded two stars in the 2019 Michelin guide. In the summer, seafood is in the spotlight, especially oysters and abalone. In winter, the chef takes care of going to choose the most beautiful specimens of Matsuba crabs at the port of Hamasaka every morning. It will cost you 20,000 yen ($166/153€) per person.

In Hyogo Prefecture, Kinosaki-onsen is a historic hot spring resort that has been in operation for 130 years. The Nishimuraya ryokan has been welcoming travelers for 150 years in a traditional way. The gourmet kaiseki meal that is served consists of Matsuba crab, again coming directly from the nearby port for impeccable freshness. Here, all parts of the crab are used in various ways to cook them with taste and commitment. One night and two meals start at 47,000 yen ($390/355€) per person.

• Read also: Hokkaido specialties

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