Ganjang gejang[Soy Sauce Marinated Crab]

Ge-jang (pickled crab), or Gejeot, is picked whole crabs in boiled soy sauce brine. A traditional Korean dish enjoyed since before the 17th century, Ganjang-gejang tastes best when it is made with egg-bearing crabs. Properly preserved, the roe-filled Ganjang-gejang can be enjoyed all year round. A Superb Combination with Rice Ge-jang is only made with live crabs, which are scrubbed clean, turned upside down and drained, then placed in a container and submerged in soy sauce. Garlic cloves and whole chili peppers are thrown in for a spicier taste. Three days later, the soy sauce is drained, boiled, cooled, and poured over the crabs. After this process is repeated three to four times, the Gejang is kept in the container ready to eat. According to Gyuhap-chongseo*, an old collection of household advice, Ge-jang was made by keeping live crabs in a crock with bits of beef overnight, and when the beef was all eaten up by the crabs, soy sauce was poured into the crock. It is said that feeding crabs with beef enhanced the taste of the crab meat. In the Jeolla Provinces, Ge-jang is commonly made by chopping up live skittering sea crabs and immersing the pieces in a seasoned soy sauce for a day or two. This fresh Ge-jang is called Beoltteok-ge-jang, because it has to be eaten Beol-tteok (quickly) or it will go bad. Rice in a Shell Restaurants famous for their Ganjang-gejang have their own soy sauce mixture that they have been using for years. Some established names even have crocks that were first filled with soy sauce over twenty years ago and never completely emptied, but only replenished once in a while. A bowl of rice vanishes in no time when eaten with Ganjang-gejang which has achieved just the right degree of saltiness. Nevertheless, true Ganjang-gejang enthusiasts are especially fond of a certain part: the carapace (top shell). Naturally, this does not mean that they eat the shell itself, but rice mixed in it. The combination of rice, creamy tomalley, bits of crabmeat, and crab-flavored soy sauce is so good that the taste defies description. *Gyuhapchongseo is a home economics encyclopedia compiled by Lady Bingheogak Yi in 1809 that organizes and compiles matters related to the necessities of life. Crab Roe Bibimbap One popular dish at specialized Ganjang-gejang houses is crab roe Bibimbap (rice mixed with crab roe), a dish designed for those who crave Ganjang-gejang but find it bothersome to have to pick the crab meat from its shell. The edible contents of Ganjang-gejang, steamed rice, raw egg yolk, dried laver flakes and sesame oil are all mixed together in a bowl. The wonderful aroma of sesame oil is what makes Ganjang-gejang lovers choose crab roe Bibimbap over regular Ganjanggejang with rice

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