History

Hokkaido hairy crab fisheries date to the late nineteenth century, but the dish entered Sapporo restaurants seriously in the 1960s as the city's crab houses grew around the Susukino entertainment district. Kani Honke opened its Honten in 1964; the seven-storey building became a tourist landmark in the 1970s. Today, kegani peaks September through November, with the densest tomalley in the autumn months; Kani Honke and Kani Shogun lead the Susukino crab kaiseki rooms.

Common allergens: Shellfish

Make it at home

Yield Serves 2Hands-on 15 minTotal 35 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 1 whole live hairy crab (kegani), 500-700g
  • Sea salt (3 percent by water weight)
  • 1 small lemon, halved
  • Hokkaido sake to pour over (optional)

Method

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add salt at 3 percent by weight.
  2. Plunge the crab head-first into the boiling water; cook 15 minutes for a 500-600g crab, 18 minutes for 700g.
  3. Remove crab with tongs and rest belly-up for 5 minutes to redistribute juices.
  4. Flip the crab on its back; pry off the apron (the triangular flap on the belly).
  5. Lift the top shell off carefully; the orange tomalley (kani-miso) is inside.
  6. Use a small knife to break the body into halves and crack each leg with a crab cracker.
  7. Serve the crab on a plate alongside the tomalley in the shell, with lemon and a small drizzle of Hokkaido sake.

Tip from the editors. Don't overcook; hairy crab flesh dries out fast. The tomalley is the prize; spoon it onto small rice scoops.

This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.

Where to eat kegani (hokkaido hairy crab)

Kegani (Hokkaido Hairy Crab) in Sapporo

Sapporo Kani Honke Honten ★ 4.1

Japanese seafood and sushiChef Kani Honke team¥¥¥¥¥12,000-25,000sapporo-stationBook 1 week ahead

The city's reference crab restaurant since 1964, seven floors south of Sapporo Station. Course menus across king, snow and hairy crab, tax-free service.

Order: Kegani course: hairy crab steamed whole, plus crab sashimi and a chawanmushi.

Tip: Susukino branch closed 2022; Honten is the principal Sapporo address now.

Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060-0003, Japan Book →

Hokkaido Kani Shogun ★ 4.1

Japanese seafood and sushiChef Kani Shogun team¥¥¥¥¥10,000-22,000susukinoBook 1 week ahead

Susukino's other heavyweight crab house. Six floors, course menus across all three Hokkaido crabs plus a third-floor sushi counter and private tatami rooms.

Order: Sankan three-crab course: one whole king-crab leg, hairy-crab sashimi and snow-crab nabe.

Tip: Tax-free service for international visitors; window tables on the fifth floor face Susukino.

Chuo-ku, Sapporo 064-0805, Japan Book →

Nijo Ichiba Ohiso ★ 4.1

nijo-market

A Nijo Market sushi-and-donburi counter. The cheapest kaisendon (mixed seafood-over-rice) bowls land 1,800 yen; uni-ikura-crab triple bowls 2,800.

Try: Kaisendon

Tip: Walk in early; the queue stretches by 09:00 in summer.

Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060-0053, Japan

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