Ganjang gejang is a dish made by preparing fresh blue crabs and marinating them in soy sauce. The origin of soy sauce crab is a traditional food that has been eaten since the Joseon Dynasty around 1600. At that time, it was preserved in the form of ‘Ge-jeot’ pickled in alcohol beverages and salt. Afterwards, the method of using soy sauce was changed and it was developed as a food that can be stored for a long period of time.

Ganjang gejang is made by freshly preparing the main ingredient, blue crab, and pickling it in seasoned soy sauce. It’s best to use live crabs at this time, and mostly made with ‘Kkotge(blue crabs). The recipe for soy sauce for marinating crab is very simple. Soy sauce is boiled with sesame oil, sugar, green onions, garlic, ginger, and red pepper. Take the sufficiently salted blue crabs out of the pot, place it in a bowl, and pour in the hot boiled soy sauce. After about three days, pour the soy sauce into a pot and boil again. Pour the boiled and cooled soy sauce back into the crab sauce. Repeat this process 3 or 4 times to sterilize the crab and remove impurities.

Through this process, the meat and intestines of the blue crabs absorb the soy sauce, creating a deep and rich taste. Ganjang gejang has a salty yet sweet taste and is very popular as a side dish. The soup of ganjang gejang is so rich and savory that it can be mixed with boiled rice or used in other dishes. There are many specialized restaurants of ganjang gejang in Korea, but coastal areas such as Yeosu, Jeollanam-do are especially famous because of their availability of fresh crabs.