Kani salad

Kani salad is a tasty, simple Japanese crab salad with a light mayonnaise-based dressing and crunchy vegetables mixed in. It's quick and easy to make, versatile and so easy to enjoy.

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While it's not always the case, traditionally Japanese meals have a number of different components to them. Instead of one plate with a main and sides together, you typically have a number of smaller individual dishes. These typically have at least rice and a soup (usually miso) then a protein, pickles, salad and vegetable dishes.

Personally I love the variety of textures and flavors and when we were in Japan last year, I made sure we had some time staying at a ryokan, a traditional inn, that served a traditional breakfast and dinner.

We all loved the food in general and particularly those meals. And it reminded me to make and share Japanese cucumber salad, sunomono, and Japanese spinach salad with sesame, horenso gomaae, since we returned.

While this crab salad is probably more common in Japanese restaurants outside of Japan, it is something you'll find enjoyed in homes. And being easy to make, it's a great choice to make yourself.

Origins of kani salad

This salad is generally believed to have been created in Japan around the time imitation crab was developed there, which is the main ingredient in the salad. "Kani" means "crab" in Japanese but this salad is more often made with "kanikama" which is imitation crab.

Kanikama was developed in the 1970s but it has evolved from a much older ingredient, surimi. Surimi is believed to trace back to the 12th century and was originally a way to preserve leftover fish. The fish was deboned, ground into a paste and salted. In the 20th century, using sugar to stabilize the product and freezing helped it last longer.

Surimi itself is a relatively flavorless protein as it goes through a washing process. But in the 1970s, products like kanikama evolved. They start with surimi and add flavor and color to act as a replacement to more expensive crab. You'll find other products that imitate shrimp and lobster. The imitation crab in particular is common in crab-based sushi like California rolls.

Ingredients in this Japanese crab salad

This salad has just a handful of ingredients, helping it be nice and easy to make:

• Imitation crab - this is widely available in Asian supermarkets as well as many mainstream supermarkets these days. Though I do find the sticks I get from our local Hmart (a Korean supermarket) shred much better than those from our general supermarket. You can use real crab too, but honestly I'd save that for other dishes. The shredded crab sticks actually match the thin strips of vegetable better for one.
• Carrot and cucumber - both vegetables are cut into very thin strips, or julienne. This makes them a little easier to eat but they still have that nice crunch. I'd recommend the small Persian cucumber (as I use here) or English cucumber as both have less seeds and liquid. If you use another type of cucumber, you may want to remove some of the seeds.
• Japanese mayonnaise (kewpie) - Japanese mayo is a little different in flavor, due to slightly different ingredient, to Western mayo, though if you can't find any then other mayonnaises would work here.
• Lemon juice - this adds a little extra freshness and flavor, as well as loosens up the mayonnaise to make the dressing.
• Toasted sesame seeds - these also add flavor, as well as a little texture. You mix most in with the dressing but also add a few more on top for decoration.

There's no cooking required for this salad as imitation crab is ready to eat. Instead, it just takes a little bit of preparation but that, too, is relatively quick. You can shred up the imitation crab by hand or with a fork, as you prefer - I find by hand is in many ways easier.

Then cut the vegetables into lengths and make thin strips. Do this as you find easiest - one way is to cut thin slices then slice those, either one slice or a few stacked at a time. Mix up the dressing, mix it all together, and it's ready to enjoy.

Serving and storage

This salad is most typically served as a side dish and can work with a broad range of dishes. You can serve it with sushi, whether that's rolls, maki or sashimi. You could also have some alongside things like chicken karaage, rice and vegetable dishes.

While maybe less traditional, I also like it as more of the main part of lunch with some vegetable sides (like Japanese cucumber salad or miso glazed eggplant).

You can make a few variations to this salad, too. Some like to make the salad a little spicy by adding some sriracha to the dressing. Or you can vary the vegetables with eg some corn and/or peas.

Since there are not any leaves in the salad that wilt, this crab salad stores well for up to three days. So it can be good to make up a slightly larger batch and enjoy over a day or two - just store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Kani salad is a lovely light, easy Japanese crab salad that's quick to make and great with a broad range of dishes. It's tasty, with a lovely mix of crunch and creaminess. Be sure to enjoy soon.

Try these other easy, tasty salads:

• Tuscan white bean and tuna salad (incredibly easy, and both hearty and light. Great for a potluck or packing for lunch/picnic)
• Chicken and bacon salad (only a few ingredients, hearty enough to call a meal and with a bright Dijon vinaigrette that brings it all together)
• Black bean and sweet potato salad (another salad that keeps well, it needs a little time with cooking the sweet potato but is otherwise quick and so tasty)
• Apple celeriac salad (a variation on celeriac remoulade, this side salad is packed with crunch and tasty flavor)
• Plus get more side dishes and Japanese recipes in the archives.

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store. 

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