Snow crab nigiri

Snow crab (Zuwaigani)

【Nigiri sushi: Ebi/Kani】
What is Zuwaigani?
Zuwaigani live in the Japan Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk. The shells of males are about 15 cm in width, and the females’ shells are 7 to 8 cm wide. The names of these crabs differ depending on region. Males are called Matsuba-gani or Echizen-gani. Sekogani is the name for female snow crabs that have eggs and is mainly used in Fukui, Hyogo, and Tottori prefectures. Koppe-gani is also the name for female snow crabs that have eggs and is only used in the Tango region of Kyoto. Kobako-gani is also the name for female snow crabs that have eggs and is heard mainly in Kanazawa in the Hokuriku region.

What does Zuwaigani (Snow crab) nigiri sushi taste like?
Since snow crab has never been a traditional topping for Edomae sushi, there are still quite a few long-established sushi restaurants that decline to serve it even today. Sushi made with snow crab primarily uses the meat from the legs of male crabs. The meat has a supple texture and a clean, pleasant bite, and the more you chew, the more the crab’s distinctive, refined sweetness spreads across your palate. Some restaurants even top the sushi with rich crab miso.

On the other hand, the appeal of female snow crabs lies in the fact that you can enjoy not only the meat but also both the internal and external roe. The external roe has a unique, popping texture, while the internal roe is characterized by a rich, deep flavor. Furthermore, some restaurants serve ohagi-shaped nigiri made by mixing the crab meat with both the internal and external roe.

However, the reality is that there are still very few sushi restaurants that regularly use snow crab as a sushi topping. There are chefs who specialize in preparing crab, eel, and pufferfish. Personally, I find that I can better appreciate the flavors of crab, eel, and pufferfish when they are prepared at specialty restaurants using cooking methods suited to each ingredient, rather than served as sushi. This is, of course, just my personal opinion.

In recent years, partly due to increased imports from countries such as Russia and Canada, snow crab has been used relatively widely in the foodservice industry. At conveyor-belt sushi restaurants, red snow crab, which looks very similar to snow crab, is sometimes used as a substitute.

While red snow crab is said to have a slightly sweeter flavor than snow crab, its meat is quite watery, so it is not necessarily the best choice as a topping for nigiri sushi.

To begin with, the strong demand for crab in Japan cannot be met solely by snow crab caught in waters near the country. For this reason, large quantities of snow crab are currently imported into Japan from Russia, the east coast of Canada, Alaska, and other regions.

Alaska, one of the major snow crab-producing regions, is renowned for its strict fisheries management aimed at conserving the resource. Size limits are in place, and undersized crabs must be released back into the sea rather than retained. Consequently, Alaskan snow crab is generally regarded as large and meaty. Furthermore, even female crabs—which are highly prized in Japan—must be released when caught in order to protect the resource.

Also called Tanner crab or Queen crab.

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(Revision date: September 4, 2026)