Kani Salad

This quick and easy Kani Salad recipe is quite refreshing with sweet notes from ripe mangoes that is a contrast to the lightly savory flavors of Kani and creamy Japanese mayo.

Contrary to popular notion, Kani Salad is not a traditional Japanese dish. Like many other dishes, it actually first became popular in the US. Commonly served at Japanese-American sushi restaurants that spread to other parts of the world. The main star of this dish is, of course, the Kani, hence the name.

What is Kani?

Kani is popularly known as an imitation crab meat usually found on various Japanese dishes such as sushi. Kani actually means “crab” in Japanese, and the imitation crab meat that we eat is called Kani Kamaboko or simply Kanikami. Regardless of that,  Kani became a widely accepted term for imitation crab meat.

These imitation crab meat are made from white fishes such as Pollock, processed to become a paste called surimi. They are made to taste close to real crab. Each crab stick can be shredded easily and is artificially-colored in red, externally, to mimic the crab’s leg and appearance.

Kani is cheaper than the real crab meat, but, of course, imitation crab can’t compete to the real crab’s nutrition. These crab sticks can be brought on almost all local grocery stores, and are sold already cooked. It is used as an ingredient in various Japanese dishes and street foods and is used worldwide.

What is Kani Salad made of?

Making Kani Salad really requires simple ingredients. A typical Kani Salad includes imitation crab sticks, iceberg lettuce, cucumber, carrot, and Japanese mayo.
But if you want to bring it to another level, here are some of the ingredients that you can add:

Mango-adds sweet, juicy taste to your Kani Salad. For best punch, use a perfectly ripe mango and slice it into strips
Avocado-brings healthy goodness. Avocado adds a thick, creamy, buttery taste to your Kani Salad
Kelp Noodles-a glassy noodle made from kelp (sea vegetable) and water. Kelp noodles are light but filling to the tummy.
Corn kernels-adds a juicy, crunchy texture to your Kani Salad

For another added flare you can add some toppings :

Tobiko-a red-orange Japanese fish roe that adds additional seafood taste to your Kani Salad
Sesame Seeds-black sesame seeds will make a great contrast while adding a nutty and crunchy texture to your Kani Salad
Panko-a Japanese type of breadcrumbs that are processed to be flakes. It adds crunchy, crispy texture to your Kani Salad.
Gomashio-a Japanese seasoning made from sesame seeds and salt. It adds a nutty flavor and crunchy texture to your Kani Salad

This Kani Salad recipe though is very simple. I only added ripe mango to give it a fuller flavor, that is sweet, savory with a hint of tanginess.

How to make Kani Salad?

1. Peel the carrots and trim off the ends. Cut into 2 or about 3-inch long. Cut into julienne. Do the same with the cucumber leaving the core with seeds to discard.
2. Shred the crab sticks by hand by gently pressing a piece from end to end to loosen the strips and then separate each strip from one another.
3. Peel the ripe mango. Cut the flesh into thin slices until you reach the core. Do the same to the other side of the core. Stack the slices together and cut into strips.
4. In a large bowl, add the cucumber, carrots, Kani, mango and Japanese mayo. Squeeze the juices of half a lemon on top and toss.
5. Season with salt and pepper as needed and give it another toss until all ingredients are well blended.
6. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready. Serve on top of a bed of iceberg or romaine lettuce.

No Japanese Mayo? No problem.

I tried to compare regular mayonnaise to Japanese mayonnaise to find out the difference. I find that Japanese mayonnaise has a stronger egg flavor. Well, that is because they use only egg yolks in making them.  It is also slightly tangier because they use apple cider or rice vinegar. Lastly, it has that rich 'umami' taste that you cannot find from regular mayo.

If you cannot find Japanese Mayonnaise, the next best thing you can do is make a regular mayonnaise taste almost like it. Just add a little apple cider vinegar and a bit of soy sauce to regular mayonnaise.

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