간장게장 · Soy-marinated crab

Soy-marinated crab

간장게장

What exactly is it?

Raw crab is steeped in seasoned soy liquid until the flesh takes on its flavor. The soft, translucent meat is sweet and salty with rice. Boiling the marinade before cooling it does not make the crab a cooked dish.

Main ingredients

Raw crab, soy sauce, water, garlic, ginger and aromatics

Ordering and serving

Pick the meat from the shell; rice may be mixed with the contents of the top shell. Use the salty liquid sparingly. Choose steamed crab or soup if avoiding raw seafood.

Origins and changes

Jubangmun, Sallim gyeongje and Gyuhap chongseo document ways to preserve crab in seasoned sauces. Modern ganjang gejang identifies the soy-liquid marinated branch of these preparations.

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Spicy marinated crab · 양념게장

Soy-marinated crab

간장게장

Main ingredients: Raw crab, soy sauce, water, garlic, ginger and aromatics
Flavor and character: Raw crab is steeped in seasoned soy liquid until the flesh takes on its flavor. The soft, translucent meat is sweet and salty with rice. Boiling the marinade before cooling it does not make the crab a cooked dish.
How to eat it: Pick the meat from the shell; rice may be mixed with the contents of the top shell. Use the salty liquid sparingly. Choose steamed crab or soup if avoiding raw seafood.

Read about this dish →

Spicy marinated crab

양념게장

Main ingredients: Raw crab, chili powder, garlic, scallion, soy sauce and sweetener
Flavor and character: Cleaned raw crab pieces are coated in thick red chili seasoning. The flavor is more directly spicy than soy-marinated gejang. Extract the flesh to eat with rice; marination does not cook the crab.
How to eat it: If avoiding raw seafood, choose steamed crab or crab soup. Remove the shell rather than chewing it, and add the salty dressing to rice gradually.

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