Why source from Japan
Echizen-gani GI protection (MAFF); yellow / red tag-trace certification system unique to Fukui; Matsuba-gani Tottori-Hyogo brand established.
Key spec
Cooked weight 600-1,200 g (top grade); protein 17-20%; characteristic snow-white meat; mineral / amino-acid profile distinct from king crab.
Typical end-product
Premium fresh-cooked retail, frozen-cooked export, premium canned crab.
At a glance
- Suppliers listed
- 2 suppliers
- Typical MOQ
- 10–100 kg live / cooked; 5–25 kg frozen retail
- Typical lead time
- 6–10 weeks (in season; allocation-controlled)
- Regions of origin
- Fukui (Echizen-gani), Tottori / Hyogo (Matsuba-gani), Hokkaido (Tsuwai-gani)
- Category
- Food ingredients
- Harvest season
- November – March (regulated season)
- Japan regulatory status
- Food product; Echizen-gani GI; phytosanitary for live; shellfish allergen
- Japanese name
- 越前蟹 / 松葉蟹
- Romaji
- 越前蟹 / 松葉蟹
About this ingredient
Male snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) — known as 'Echizen-gani' in Fukui, 'Matsuba-gani' in Tottori-Hyogo, and 'Tsuwai-gani' in Hokkaido. Fukui's Echizen-gani has GI protection and tag-trace certification (yellow tag for Echizen-gani, red tag for top-grade). Female (seko-gani) has separate naming and pricing. Northern Hokkaido and Sea of Japan harvest produces the principal commercial supply. Used live-cooked, frozen retail, and increasingly canned for export.
Regulatory status
| Japan | Food product; Echizen-gani GI; phytosanitary for live; shellfish allergen |
|---|---|
| EU | Food import; GI-recognition under EU-Japan EPA |
| United States | GRAS; FDA Prior Notice; shellfish-allergen labelling |
| China | GACC; live-shellfish inspection |
Looking for alternatives?
Common reasons buyers swap to a different ingredient — and what we'd suggest based on this ingredient's profile.
Vegan / plant-based alternatives
Echizen Crab (Snow Crab) is animal-derived. If you need a non-animal source with similar functions, consider:
Sansho Pepper
山椒
Zanthoxylum piperitum source; INCI Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract; MOQ from 1–10 kg (dried peppercorn); 100 g – 5 kg (powder).
Plant-based· shares 2 categories
Wasabi Powder
山葵粉末
Wasabia japonica (Eutrema japonicum) source; INCI Wasabia Japonica Root Powder; MOQ from 1–10 kg (powder); 100 kg+ (bulk paste).
Plant-based· shares 2 categories
Fucoidan
フコイダン
INCI Fucoidan (from various brown seaweeds); MOQ from 1–10 kg.
Plant-based· shares 2 categories
When does it make sense to swap an ingredient? Read the swap guide →
Japanese suppliers
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Last updated: 2026-05-05