Ganjang Gejang

Korean raw marinated crab is not for the faint of heart. It’s a true Korean delicacy that is so delicious and requires patience and time but is absolutely worth the effort.

If you missed it, you can watch me marinate, prep, and eat both the spicy and banana soy sauce marinated crabs side-by-side in the (first!) episode of "Dining In with Miij" on YouTube.

My recipe depends on a high quality marinade from scratch which includes all kinds of delicious aromatics like garlic and ginger but also kelp, Korean radish, and of course the whole banana for complexity and flavor!

I would recommend eating it simply with rice (there’s a reason why this dish’s nickname is called “rice thief”) or with toasted gim or seaweed, scallions, and sesame seeds with more of the soy marinade to drizzle on top!

Have you ever tried Korean raw marinated crab? My tip would be…don’t knock it until you try it.

Ganjang Gejang with Banana Soy Marinade

• 6-8 fresh blue crabs
• 2.5 cups soy sauce
• 6 cups water
• 1 Korean radish, cut into chunks
• Handful of Korean green chili peppers (or jalapenos), sliced
• 2 bunches of Korean daepa aka large green onion (or leeks), cut into large pieces
• 1 yellow onion, quartered
• 1 garlic head, halved
• 1 knob of ginger, sliced
• Medium sized piece of Korean dashima aka kelp
• 1/4 cup of honey
• 1 whole banana, washed well
• 1 apple, sliced into chunks

Prep the crabs. Freeze the crabs to put them down. After a few hours, wash them well in cold water. Pop off the shell and remove gills. Scrub and rinse well, being careful to keep the orange yellowish intestines in tact. Set aside in large jar or container. Alternative: buy flash frozen crabs from the Korean grocery store.

Make the banana soy marinade. In a large pot, bring water and soy sauce to a boil and add in radish, chili peppers, onion, garlic, ginger, dashima, honey, and whole banana. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and let cook for 30-45 minutes. Remove from heat and strain through a cheese cloth or sieve and completely cool.

Marinate. Pour cooled marinade into jar or container with crabs so that they’re completely submerged. Refrigerate for 2-3 days. Eat with fresh rice, toasted seaweed, sliced scallions, sesame seeds, and more of the soy sauce marinade on top for seasoning.