Ganjang Gejang (간장게장)

Raw crab cured in soy sauce — nicknamed 'the rice thief'.

Korean name: 간장게장
Spice level: Not spicy
Flavor: briny · umami
Typically contains: shellfish, raw seafood
Vegetarian / vegan: Not vegetarian — meat or seafood is core to the dish
Typical price: ₩30,000–₩50,000 per person checked 2026-07 — varies by area
Good to know: Beginner-friendly ●●○○○ Solo dining ●●○○○ Kid-friendly ●●○○○
Also written as: gejang, kanjang gejang, soy marinated raw crab, soy sauce crab

Spice and flavor are editorial assessments of the standard version — individual restaurants and recipes vary. Ingredient notes are typical, not guaranteed: always check with the restaurant for allergies or dietary needs. Eating and cooking notes describe common practice in Korea; our first-hand deep-dives live in the Eat Like a Local guides.

What is Ganjang Gejang?

Ganjang-gejang (간장게장) is raw crab cured in a soy brine — female crabs marinated shell-on until the flesh turns silken and the roe jams against the shell. Nicknamed "bap-doduk" (rice thief) because the salty-sweet marinade demands endless rice, it is Korean fine-casual dining's great delicacy: eaten with hands, finished by mixing rice directly in the upturned shell. Restaurants in Seoul's Sinsa-dong "gejang alley" specialize in it.

How to eat it

Suck the meat straight from the shell — utensils fail here; this is licensed hands-on eating.
Mix the roe and soy from the carapace with hot rice — the 'rice thief' moment the dish is named for.
Cold rice loses; insist on hot rice.

Good to know

It's raw crab — eat it only at reputable specialists with turnover, and skip if pregnant or immunocompromised.
The soy brine is intensely salty; it's a rice dish, not a standalone.

Good houses reuse nothing: the brine is boiled, cooled and re-poured over days in careful cycles.

Seen on Screen

This food appears in popular Korean dramas and movies — every connection verified and sourced.

Let's Eat (식샤를 합시다, 2013) — The soy-marinated raw crab mukbang — rice mixed straight in the shell — is the scene fans of the series always cite.

✓ Verified — editorial research

Where to eat it

Selected classic places — verified, sourced, never sponsored. See all →

게방식당 · Gebang Sikdang Sinsa (Gangnam) · ₩₩₩

Best known for this dishMICHELIN Bib Gourmand

A one-dish ganjang-gejang specialist using Seosan female crabs — Bib Gourmand every year since 2018, and the cleanest introduction to 'rice thief' culture.

Known for: Ganjang Gejang

Naver Map ↗ Google Maps ↗

Open as of our last check (2026-07-20) · Sources: MICHELIN Guide — hours, prices and status can change; check the map link before visiting.

Nutrition

Calories	88 kcal
Carbohydrate	4.47 g
Protein	12.25 g
Fat	2.31 g
Sodium	910 mg

Per serving (~100g): ≈88 kcal · sodium ≈910 mg (46% of the WHO daily guideline, 2,000 mg)

Per 100g · total serving 100g · Official data: National Integrated Food Nutritional Information Standard Data (Korea MFDS) (DB item: 게장_간장, synced 2026-07-17). Values vary by recipe and portion.