We bought, boiled, and processed Kabako crab!

  • Ishikawa
  • Eating

What is "Kabako crab" popular among locals?

Female snow crab caught in Ishikawa Prefecture is called "Kabako crab" (in Fukui Prefecture, it is called "seiko crab"). The fishing season for male snow crabs is from November 6 to March 20 of the following year, but in order to protect the spawning females, Kabako crabs are caught only until the end of December, making them one of the most precious ingredients.
The crab has a brown outer egg and an orange inner egg, which is also the part of the crab's meat, and the crab has a rich flavor and texture. Because of its popularity among locals and the short fishing season, it is a valuable foodstuff that is often consumed locally without being sold outside of the prefecture.

It is so familiar to local people that you can find it in supermarkets!

Within Ishikawa Prefecture, it is so familiar that it can be purchased at markets and even in the fresh fish section of supermarkets. Prices vary depending on the year, place of sale, and size of the crab, but they can be bought for about 1,000 to 2,000 yen, and some have been seen for less than 1,000 yen. The inexpensive and easy to buy crab is another attraction of Kabako crab!

I actually boiled and processed it at home!

However, eating crab at home is quite a hurdle, isn't it? When I first came to Ishikawa Prefecture, I wondered if I could boil Kabako crab in a pot at home. I wondered if I could handle it without any tools...? I wondered every time I saw them. However, when I asked at the "Kanazawa Port Iki-iki Fish Market," I was told that "you just need to make salt water thinner than seawater in the biggest pot you have at home and boil it for about 20 minutes," so I bought some fresh Kabako crabs and decided to give it a try!
We were given a selection of recommendations and got them with ice! They also gave me a written explanation so I could be at ease!
When I tried to boil it as he told me, I found that it was ......
It turned out beautifully red! It may look big (because the cutting board is small), but...
It looks like this when compared to the palm of your hand. It is very small.
I found out that I could handle it with a normal knife and a mortar and pestle, and I tried to handle it while referring to YouTube. The outer shell is removed by hand, and the meat of the leg is pushed out with a mortar and pestle.

Here is the finished product!

It is completed by arranging them neatly! It took about 30 minutes to process the fish. It took about 30 minutes to process the fish. The process of removing the meat with a surikogi required a little bit of strength, but other than that, I was able to process the fish by removing it by hand and cutting it with a knife. Although it was only boiled in salted water, it was very tasty, and I could taste the difference in flavor of each part, which was very satisfying!
Even if it is difficult to bring it home with you, you can enjoy it in various places, such as at markets, where it is sold in a ready-to-cook state for immediate consumption, or at taverns, oden restaurants, and Western-style restaurants, where you can taste Kabako crab dishes. Unfortunately, the fishing season for Kabako crab is only a few days away at the end of December, but please come and taste it just in time for this winter season!
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