Crab eating is taken seriously here in Japan, crabs are a delicacy and nothing is wasted not even the brain. Winter is well upon us and now is the best time of year to tuck into the tasty crustacean. Restaurants throughout the country are serving them up in all manor of fashion, and hordes of tourists are descending upon seaside towns especially in Hokkaido to fill up on a whole variety of the crawlers. A top of the line crab can cost anywhere between 20,000 and 30,000 yen! If you’ve been ever sat down to a good crab meal, you may have come across a dish called Kani Miso.

Kani miso (カニみそ), is a grey/green coloured paste, and usually you’ll get a good-sized spoonful or two from a single crab. Ask a Japanese person what they think kani miso is and more often then not the word ‘nou miso’ (脳みそ) will come up (i.e. crab’s brain). However this is a common misconception.

The truth is far more horrific, the brain size of an average size crab is little more than that of a pea, and kani miso is whatever is left after all the white meat is taken out of the crab – a nasty looking concoction of internal organs such as livers and pancrease, intestines, their contents and just a little bit of the actual brain. Over tofu though it’s delicious!

Try it out this winter, and let us know what you think by leaving a comment!

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