The Only Condiment You Should Ever Use To Make A Bold And Rich Crab Salad

Perfecting a crab salad begins with perfecting the ingredients, and yes, every single thing counts. Fresh, succulent crab meat should be matched with a dressing that complements its flavors well, and more often than not, it's mayonnaise's distinctive tang that highlights the seafood's natural sweetness. But if you want to take it to the next level, ditch your regular mayo, as kewpie mayonnaise can do an even better job. With more boldness and charm, this staple Japanese condiment is perfect for this dish.

It may not look much like it from their similar colors and textures, but there is definitely a difference between kewpie mayo and regular — and it all comes down to how they're made. Western-style mayo is made with whole eggs, whereas the Japanese version only utilizes the yolks. This may seem like a minor change, but it's the reason why kewpie mayo is so much richer and sweeter, as well as less acidic and more luscious in consistency.

That egg-forward flavor works unexpected wonders on the salad, rounding out every sweet, earthy nuance in the flavor profile — rather than straight-up masking it like regular mayo can. This condiment also offers a subtle tang, introducing a gentle complexity, and with the way it clings onto every morsel of meat and veggies, it's impossible not to have the most enjoyable time when you're eating a crab salad made with it.

Before you get started, make sure you get Japanese kewpie mayo instead of the Western one. While the two have similar ingredients, the latter doesn't contain MSG. MSG isn't bad for you like some folks have long believed; in fact, this seasoning plays a huge role in kewpie mayo's umami complexity — one of its main allures. Without it, your crab salad might not reach its full flavor potential. If you can't find it at the store, you can easily make your own copycat kewpie mayo at home using mostly common pantry ingredients.

You'll be glad to know you won't even need to adjust the ingredient ratio when using kewpie in your crab salad. This mayonnaise generally works with almost any recipe that uses the regular kind. From there, you can get creative with the recipe. Needless to say, turning it into a sushi crab salad just makes sense. This could mean adding other staples of Japanese cuisine into the dressing, such as toasted sesame seeds, mirin, or Japanese soy sauce, or opting for toppings like fish roe or daikon radish. If you don't mind a different flavor profile, try swapping out fresh crab for imitation crab to make a dish of kani salad (Japanese crab salad). If you don't want to completely change the recipe, simply serve the crab salad in pieces of dried seaweed sheets for a sushi-style wrap, or use it as a topping for a cold bowl of soba noodles.