Ganjang gejang — fresh raw crab marinated in soy sauce for 3–7 days — is one of the most extraordinary preparations in Korean cooking and one of the oldest. The salt and amino acids in the soy sauce both preserve and partially denature the crab's proteins over the marination period, producing a preparation that is simultaneously raw (the crab was never heated) and transformed (its texture softened, its flavour deeply penetrated by the soy). It is called "rice thief" (bap doduk) — the intensely savoury, creamy, raw crab mixed with rice is so compelling that one cannot stop eating.
- **The crab:** Fresh raw crab — Korean blue crab or similar varieties. Must be exceptionally fresh — the safety of raw crab marination depends on starting with live or just-killed crab. [VERIFY] Maangchi's crab specification and safety guidance. - **The soy marinade:** Soy sauce boiled with garlic, ginger, chilli, and aromatics, then cooled completely before being poured over the cleaned crab. The boiling sterilises the sauce; the subsequent cooling prevents partial cooking of the crab. - **The marination:** 24–48 hours minimum in the refrigerator. The soy sauce's salinity and amino acids penetrate the crab's flesh throughout the marination. - **Safety:** Raw crab must come from reliably clean-water sources. The soy sauce's salt is a preservative but not a steriliser — this preparation is not suitable for those with compromised immune systems.
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