Matsuba Crab (JDT Recommends)

Tottori is famous for Matsuba Crabs, which are the adult male snow crabs (or queen crabs), during the winter time. Matsuba crab is caught between November to March and often celebrates the start of the season with Matsuba Crab Day on the docks of Tottori. Matsuba crab is often enjoyed with sake or rice as a wintertime food in Tottori. It is said Matsuba crab gets it's flavor from the plankton-rich environment of the region which give the crab such rich flavors. There are also less rocks where Matsuba Crabs live, resulting in a distinctive slender legs. Crab fans from all over the country come to Tottori to enjoy this famous crustacean treat!

There are numerous was to enjoy Matsuba crab, including hot-pot or nabe, boiled, sashimi, in miso soup, grilled, and more! For fans of sake, a trick popularized in the hit anime Konosuba recommends taking the shell off the crab to pour sake inside the base, then let the shell cook for a couple minutes (the sake will bubble) before enjoying the innards mixed with sake. While this may seem like something only the useless goddess Aqua could enjoy, this is another way to enjoy delicious sake with crab. There are plenty of restaurants and hotels in Tottori that serve the popular crustacean for you to enjoy.

Does fresh Matsuba crab in Tottori sound like a can't-miss meal during your vacation in Japan? Customize your Cherry Blossom Japan Tour or Highlights Japan vacation package to include a Matsuba Crab dinner after your tour ends in Hiroshima.