Yangnyeom-gejang

Taste and texture

Yangnyeom-gejang coats cleaned, cut raw crab with spicy seasonings such as chili powder, green onion and garlic. Red sauce clings to the body and legs, and diners extract the soft meat. Strong seasoning does not involve cooking the crab with heat. Its raw flesh differs in texture from boiled crab soup or steamed crab.

Its preparation differs from ganjang-gejang. Korean Bapsang describes whole crabs immersed in soy brine for the soy version, and opened, cut crabs coated in sauce for yangnyeom-gejang. Seasoning reaches the cut body sections, while thick sauce gathers on the plate. Small amounts of meat and sauce can be taken separately with rice.

Cleaning removes the top shell, gills, stomach sac and other inedible parts. Sukha brushes the shells, trims leg tips and divides the body into manageable pieces. Sections with legs and claws contain less edible flesh than their apparent size suggests. Meat also lies within compartments in the body, requiring separation from the shell.

Chili powder, soy sauce, garlic and ginger form a seasoning base. Chili supplies red color and heat; soy sauce adds salt. Garlic may be minced and ginger grated or squeezed for juice. Korean Bapsang's formula contains no gochujang. A deep red coating can therefore come from chili powder and soy sauce without chili paste.

Sweet and acidic additions vary. Korean Bapsang uses syrup and lemon juice, with optional plum syrup or grated pear or apple. Wtable combines syrup, sugar and plum syrup. These add sweetness beyond the crab meat's own sweet character. Fruit-based mixtures bring fruity sweetness and acidity alongside the salt and chili.

Fish sauce can add seafood flavor beyond crab. Sukha combines it with soy sauce, and Wtable uses tuna extract seasoning. Whole sesame seeds may be added as well. The mixture's thickness depends on its chili powder and liquids. Gentle tossing distributes the sauce between pieces without crushing the crab.

Scallions, chilies and onion can remain visible in the sauce. Wtable slices onion into strips and chilies diagonally, preparing them with scallions. Unlike minced garlic, these larger vegetables provide a crisp bite between mouthfuls of soft crab. Cheongyang chilies contribute fresh chili aroma and extra heat.

Some vegetables are blended into the base instead. Kim Jinok blends onion and red chilies with soy sauce and anchovy fish sauce, while preparing cut scallions and Cheongyang chilies separately. Blended vegetables merge into the coating; sliced vegetables retain their shape. Cutting and blending give the same ingredients different textures within the sauce.

Shell-free seasoned crab meat is another form. Ganjang Gejang Research Institute's product combines crab meat with seasonings including pear, scallion, onion, ginger and garlic. Its suggested bibimbap places the meat over rice with fried egg, scallion and sesame oil. Without extracting meat from shells, diners can mix the soft crab and sauce directly into rice.

Crab seasoning also appears in noodle dishes. Siyeon Seongyeonmom separates meat and sauce and dresses cooked, cooled medium-thin wheat noodles with the sauce, adding shredded perilla leaves and Korean melon. The red coating spreads along the noodles, while the fruit and vegetables add moisture and crunch.

Spicy sauce reaches the tongue first, with the crab's sweetness underneath. Raw flesh is moist and soft rather than flaking like cooked crab. Chili particles and minced garlic may feel coarser than the meat. A little crab on rice combines strong seasoning with the rice's milder taste.

Syrup or sugar adds sweetness and gloss. Lemon or plum syrup can bring acidity, and sliced scallion, chili and onion provide crisp pieces among the soft flesh. Crab containing roe offers richer portions distinct from the body meat. Roe quantity and meat fullness vary by crab and cannot be read from the sauce's red color.

Mixed with rice, red sauce spreads between the grains and the crab remains in small pieces. Fried egg and sesame oil add softness and nuttiness in the shell-free product's bibimbap example. Noodles carry the seasoning on smoother strands. Shell-on crab requires separating hard shell from flesh, so start with manageable pieces.

How to order it in Korea

1. Look for “yangnyeomgejang” on the menu and check that it is not the non-spicy “ganjanggejang” listed beside it.
2. You press the crab to pull out the meat and mix it with rice, so ask whether disposable plastic gloves are provided.