【Reading】えちぜんがに

【English Name】Echizen Crab (Snow Crab)

Echizen-gani is a brand name given to male snow crab (zuwai-gani) landed in the Sea of Japan off Fukui Prefecture. Fukui was anciently called Echizen Province, a great country of the Hokuriku region with rich fishing grounds facing the Sea of Japan. Echizen crab is known nationwide as its representative seafood.

The meat has a delicate sweetness and refined umami, with fine fibers. As a sushi topping, the standard is to make gunkan-maki with the shredded meat, sometimes garnished with crab miso (tomalley). It is often served boiled or steamed, and ways of eating that bring out the ingredient's natural flavor are favored.

The fishing season opens every year on November 6 and runs until around March 20 of the following year. A yellow tag is attached, guaranteeing quality as proof of origin. Females are called "seiko-gani" or "kobako-gani," and their internal and external roe are prized. In the Meiji era there are records of it being presented to the Imperial household, and it is considered one of the most historic crab brands in Japan.