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Fish and seafood from Japan

Ganzukeがん漬

Ganzuke is a salt-fermented paste of whole small crabs from the tidal flats of the Ariake Sea, such as fiddler crabs. The crabs are crushed shell and all, mixed with salt, chilli and seasonings and left to ferment into a dark, pungent shiokara eaten with rice or sake.

A short entry: the sources we found record only what is said here about Ganzuke itself. Its own sources do not record how it is made, so the steps and scenes below are those of Ika no shiokara, the closest documented fish and seafood ferment, shown as a guide to the method, not as a record of Ganzuke.

Short entryFish and seafood

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedWhat goes in. No source gives amounts for this ferment.
small tidal-flat crabs, such as fiddler crab (shiomaneki)
Macrophthalmus japonicus (yamato-osagani) and other small crabs
salt and seasonings
red chilli

Total time across the steps of Ika no shiokara: 10 days – 30 days

Start
Drag the bar or press Play

What changes: Squid is cut into strips and the liver is taken out

Step 1 of 4 · steps of Ika no shiokara
Cut the squid and take out the liver
Time
Not documented
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

Not documented for this step.

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

At a glance

Ganzuke is a salt-fermented paste of whole small crabs from the tidal flats of the Ariake Sea, such as fiddler crabs. The crabs are crushed shell and all, mixed with salt, chilli and seasonings and left to ferment into a dark, pungent shiokara eaten with rice or sake.

What makes this one different

Ganzuke ferments whole crushed crabs, shell included, where most shiokara use squid or fish flesh and guts. Korean gejang soaks whole crabs in soy sauce or seasoning instead of fermenting a paste.

Related ferments

Safety

The crabs are crushed and fermented with salt, chilli and seasonings, and the sources describe no cooking step. The FDA Bad Bug Book says Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a salt-loving bacterium found in marine and estuarine environments and in seafood from them. It says 2 % salt is best for its growth and that most strains from the environment do not cause illness. It says people with diabetes, liver disease, kidney disease, cancer or weak immunity should always cook seafood thoroughly. No source we read tests ganzuke for this bacterium or gives its salt level.

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

  1. [s1] Japanese Wikipedia, がん漬 (accessed 2026-10-16)wiki
  2. [fiddlercrab] Rosenberg M.S., Fiddler Crabs website, reference page for Kawasaki K.-I. et al. 2008, Reduction of cadmium in fermented squid gut sauce using cadmium-absorbing bacteria isolated from food sources, J. Food Agric. Environ. 6(1):45–49 (crabs bought in stores as 'Ganzuke', salt-fermented fiddler crab)web
  3. [fda-bbb-vp] US FDA 2012, Bad Bug Book, Foodborne Pathogenic Microorganisms and Natural Toxins, 2nd ed., Vibrio parahaemolyticusgov