Spicy Sriracha Crab and Cucumber Salad (Kani Salad) Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is kani salad made of? ›

This Kani Salad is light and refreshing using imitation crab together with cucumber, and mango in a creamy spicy mayonnaise dressing. A Kani Salad is a Japanese style salad made with crab and julienned thinly sliced ingredients with a creamy spicy mayonnaise dressing. It's very popular in American Japanese restaurants.

The base is crab meat and cold rice noodles, with a fresh element from carrots, cucumbers, and scallions. The dressing is a tangy and spicy combination of sriracha, vinegar, and mayo. It's one of the most flavorful side salads you'll ever eat, and it only takes 10 minutes to make!

Kani is made from a white fish like pollock, processed and mixed with starch to mimic crab legs. It can also refer to lobster or shrimp. The shape, texture, and even flavor all mirror real crab meat. Keep in mind that Kani sushi combines both Kani and Sushi.

In Japan, imitation crab meat is referred to as kanikama. In the U.S., it is often referred to simply as kani. Imitation crab is a key ingredient in California sushi rolls, along with avocado and cucumber, and is used as a crab substitute in Japanese cuisine.

Imitation crab is highly processed and contains food additives like MSG, which can trigger adverse side effects in some people. Compared to regular crab, the imitation crab meat nutrition profile also lacks many of the vitamins and minerals found in fresh crab.

Just take them out of their Individual wrappers and press down on them with a rolling pin. Roll until you get them as shredded as you'd like. Bonus points if you do this in a large zip top bag to keep the mess contained. If you're shredding lots and lots, just use an electric mixer!

Most imitation crab products will be labeled as "imitation." However you may see it go by many names, both in grocery stores and in restaurants, including "crab sticks," "crab-flavored seafood," "surimi seafood," "krab," and in Japan it is known as "kamaboko."

In Singapore, we use mud crabs from Sri Lanka, but any other crab should work, even soft-shell. Making this dish at home allows you to adjust the sweetness/heat level, and the rich seafood flavor that comes from cooking the crab right in the sauce is unparalleled to any I've had in a restaurant.

Crab sticks – imitation crab meat surimi. Originally known as kanikama (カニカマ) in Japanese, from kani (蟹) "crab" and kamaboko (蒲鉾) "fish sausage", in the United States the product is often simply called kani.

What's kani? It's the Japanese word for crab. A kani salad uses imitation crab meat (surprisingly easy to find at local grocery stores) and mayonnaise. Well, this one uses a Greek yogurt and rice vinegar blend to replace the mayonnaise.

What's the difference between crab and kani? ›

In many cases, kani sushi is made with imitation crab meat, which is a processed seafood product made from white fish that has been flavored and colored to resemble crab meat. This is often referred to as “kanikama” or “surimi” in Japanese. Kani sushi is a popular delicacy in Japan and around the world.

On restaurant menus, imitation crab may be spelled “krab” to indicate that it's fake. Imitation crab is made from surimi, which is minced fish flesh — often pollock — that has been deboned and washed, then combined with other ingredients, heated, and formed into crab-like cuts.

Wondering about kani salad calories? Each serving has 169 calories. The full nutrition facts can be found below, on the recipe card.

Can you eat imitation crab raw? Yes. It is pre-cooked, so you are able to eat it straight from the package. Many people use it as part of a larger recipe though, adding it to cream of crab soup, crab Rangoon or crab salad.