Kani salad
This recipe has been updated on August 6, 2009 @ 11.54 a.m.
Fresh. Green. Bright. Juicy. These are words I associate with the summer. Philippine summers are either famous or notorious depending on how you look at it. We can swear all we want about the heat that can get terribly oppressive, yet, there is a part of us that welcomes the summer because of the childhood memories it evokes. Carefree days in the sun, warm nights on the beach, visits to grandparents in the province and climbing trees for a first bite of the freshest and most luscious fruits imaginable.
It may be this association that makes me think of salads during the summer. Crisp green leafy vegetables, a medley of colors and textures, light, cool and every mouthful refreshing. At home, there is a salad that has become a favorite, Japanese kani salad. It is very easy to prepare and the ingredients are available in most supermarkets all year ‘round.
Where does kani salad get its name? While kani is the Japanese name for crab, kani is also short for kani kama (not to be confused with kanitama or crab omelet), the imitation crab sticks that you often find in sushi rolls and one of the essential ingredients of kani salad.
It is quite easy to prepare kani salad at home (my two teenaged daughters made the salad in the photo). To serve four to six persons, you will need:
- 2 cucumbers, peeled or unpeeled and seeds scooped out
- 1 carrot, peeled
- a bunch of lettuce (varieties that can retain their shape like iceberg and romaine are best), torn into bite-size pieces
- 2 fresh ripe mangoes, thinly sliced
- 100 to 150 grams of kani kama (imitation crab sticks), pulled apart into thin shreds
- 1/3 cup of Japanese mayonnaise (thinner than American mayonnaise and the flavor is different too since it is usually made with rice vinegar)
- a drizzle of sesame seed oil (use very sparingly as the taste and flavor are quite strong)
- Tobiko (orange-colored flying fish roe), optional as it is quite expensive
Thinly slice the cucumbers and carrot, and julienne (cut into matchsticks). Alternatively, use the shredder commonly used for making buko salad.
To serve, you can toss the cucumbers, carrot, lettuce and mangoes with the Japanese mayonnaise, drizzle with a little sasame seed oil and top with tobiko.
If you want a prettier presentation, line each salad bowl with torn lettuce, scatter some carrot, cucumber and kani on top, drizzle the mayonnaise in a spiral, sprinkle with sesame seed oil and top with tobiko.
[Republished from my food column]
Tagged: Asian, carrots, crab sticks, Daddy cooks!, Japanese, lettuce, mango, salads
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Hi Miss Connie!
Where did you buy the Japanese mayo and how much is it? Thank you in advance. 
Thank you for the recipe. Now I know what to do with our leftover crab sticks from Christmas (it’s not expired yet. Bwehehe.).
At Shopwise, Jaecel. Forgot the price though.
Hi Ms. Connie! kani salad has been a frustration of mine! I can never seem to get how they do it in Japanese restaurants. Adding sesame oil sounds like it may be the missing piece—will pick up kani tomorrow. Any particular brand you recommend? and does it have to be rinsed, because sometimes there’s a slight smell. Thanks! love your blog. God Bless you and the family.
Hmmmm… this looks very delicious! I should try this one of these days when hubby is not around. He is not a fan of oriental cooking hehehe. Thanks Connie!
I made this last night, Connie, my husband likes it and he finished it. I showed your website and told him your a good cook. Only thing, I did not have japanese mayo so used the regular one but its all good.
thanks for the recipe i’ve been dying to make one for a long time but didn’t know how. my friend always brings some in school and its so good., can’t wait to give it a try tnx again
I’m really a big fan of Japanese cuisine and I would definitely ask my wife to try this for one of our dinner. I just hope we can find Japanese mayo in our part of the country. Just in case, any alternative for the Japanese mayo?
Great blog!
Ummm… you might try sweetening ordinary mayo with a little honey or corn syrup, Jerome.
Thank you so much Ms. Connie. I’ll tell my wife about that. By the way, she’s also a frequent reader of your blog. More power!
gud am ms. connie
may i know how it to be prepared (the kani salad)
thanks
marie
It’s right there in the entry. The ingredients and the procedure.
hi Ms. Connie, i’m very interested with the Kani salad. thanks for sharing your recipe. Anyway, just curios on how to prepare the tobiko (my favorite ingredient)? Do i have to cook it or i’ll just rinse it with water? thanks!
No, you don’t cook it. Just spoon it over the salad.