🍚 Tugani Meshi (River Crab Rice)

Saga Prefecture, which is blessed with the Ariake Sea and Genkai Sea, has many regional dishes that benefit from the abundance of seafood. One such dish is "Tsugani Meshi," a dish that incorporates river delicacies. It is a rice dish where Tsugani (freshwater crab) is cooked together with rice, and the unique flavor of Tsugani permeating the rice is delicious. It is also known as "Gane Meshi" or "Kani Meshi." The Tsugani commonly used as the main ingredient is known locally as Tsugane or Yamataro, and in the Kanto region, it is called Mokuzugani. It is a representative crab found in rivers throughout Japan. As the name Mokuzugani suggests, its claws have long, soft, densely packed "seaweed-like" hairs, giving them a deep green appearance. "Tsugani Meshi" is often prepared in the fall and winter when Tsugani descends the rivers from September to December to spawn in the river mouths and shallow coastal areas where seawater enters. Crabs descending for spawning have a delicious taste, and besides "Tsugani Meshi," they are also enjoyed in dishes like salt-boiled or simmered crabs. Particularly famous is the Tamashima River in Nanayama, Karatsu City, which flows into the Genkai Sea, and they are also often caught in the Shiota River. In the past, people used bamboo-made baskets to catch them when they descended the river, especially during heavy rainfall and increased water flow. While the number of Tsugani has decreased compared to before, around 10,000 crabs are released into the Chikugo River each year to increase the resources.