Ganjang Gejang

Ganjang gejang is raw blue crab submerged in a seasoned soy brine - boiled with aromatics, cooled, poured over, and in many kitchens drained, re-boiled and poured again over days - then left to cure and served cold, uncooked. The flesh becomes soft and slippery rather than firm, and the point of the dish for most people is the shell: the body is cut open, rice is spooned into it and mixed with the roe and the brine, which is why the nickname bapdoduk, rice thief, has stuck. Spring is the season, when the female crabs carry roe. Seoul has a gejang alley in Sinsa-dong where most restaurants serve it as a set with side dishes and often a spicy version alongside. Two practical points: it is raw seafood and should be eaten where turnover is high and handling is careful, and the texture is genuinely unfamiliar - this is not a beginner's dish.

What you actually see

• The soy-cured crab - raw, cold, served in the brine.
• The shell and rice - the body used as a bowl with roe and brine.
• The spring roe - the season the dish is built around.
• The Sinsa alley - Seoul's concentration of gejang restaurants.

When to go

Spring, when the roe is at its fullest. Lunch sets are usually cheaper than dinner. Book at the well-known Sinsa restaurants.

Honest expectations

It is raw seafood - choose a busy, reputable restaurant, and it is not advisable for anyone who avoids raw shellfish. The texture is soft and slippery and puts off many first-timers. Sets are expensive, and refills of crab are not usually included.

Nearby

The Sinsa gejang alley is in Gangnam; Yeosu and the Jeolla coast have their own versions.