Imitation crab often called surimi has become a popular ingredient in dishes like California rolls, crab rangoon, and seafood salad. But what exactly is imitation crab and how is it made? In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into the production process and ingredients used to make this seafood product.
An Overview of Imitation Crab
Imitation crab was first created in the 1970s as a cheaper alternative to real crab meat. It originated in Japan, where it is known as surimi, and eventually made its way to the United States.
Despite its name imitation crab contains no real crab. The main ingredient is fish, specifically ground white fish like pollock, cod or hake. This fish meat is processed along with starch, egg white, sugar, salt, and other additives to alter the color, texture, and flavor to resemble real crab meat.
Imitation crab costs significantly less than real crab which makes it an affordable substitute in recipes. Many consumers appreciate the convenience, cost savings and versatility of imitation crab. However, it is much more highly processed and lower in nutrients compared to real crab.
Now let’s look at the step-by-step process of how this popular seafood product goes from whole fish to the final imitation crab meat.
Step 1: Catching and Cleaning the Fish
Alaskan pollock is the most popular fish used to produce imitation crab. Pollock is a mild, white fish with a very low fat content. Other ground white fish like cod, hake, and whiting may also be used.
The whole fish are caught by large commercial fishing vessels out at sea. Once caught, the fish are transported back to a processing plant. There, they are cleaned by removing the head, bones, tail, fins, and skin. What’s left is a large white fillet of very lean fish meat.
Step 2: Turning the Fish into Surimi
The next step is to turn the fish fillets into surimi, a fish paste that forms the base of imitation crab. There are several steps to make surimi:
-
Washing: The fish is rinsed in fresh cold water multiple times to remove fat, odors, and undesirable flavors. This washing step also helps the proteins in the fish form a binder gel.
-
Mincing: The fish is then minced and pulverized to form a coarse paste. This is done using large mechanical grinders.
-
Straining: The minced fish paste is rinsed again and strained through very fine screens to remove any remaining bones or connective tissue. What’s left is a super smooth, elastic paste.
-
Mixing: Salt, sugar, and/or preservatives may be mixed in with the surimi paste at this stage. The salt helps the fish proteins bind together.
After going through this multi-step process, the result is a pure white fish paste called surimi. It has a rubbery, bouncy texture and a very mild flavor. The surimi paste can be frozen for transportation and storage before the next stages of processing into imitation crab.
Step 3: Adding Binders, Fillers, and Flavorings
The surimi paste alone does not have much structure, flavor, or color. In this stage of production, ingredients are added to alter the texture, taste, and appearance to resemble real crab meat:
-
Starch, egg whites, or whey protein concentrate are blended in as binders. This helps the surimi hold its shape.
-
Vegetable oils may be mixed in to add richness and improve the mouthfeel.
-
Sugars or sorbitol provide some sweetness and help retain moisture.
-
Salt is added for flavor.
-
Phosphates can increase water retention.
-
Natural and artificial crab flavors provide a briny, seafood taste.
-
Colorings like carotenoids or carmine give it the distinctive reddish-orange hue of crab shell.
By the end of this process, the surimi paste has been converted into a dough-like mixture convincingly resembling the texture and appearance of crab meat.
Step 4: Shaping into Imitation Crab Legs & Paste
The imitation crab mixture is now ready to be formed into the final products. There are a few methods this can be accomplished:
-
Extrusion: The mixture can be pressed into rods or tubes through a shaped die to form “crab sticks.”
-
Injection molding: Injecting the mixture into plastic molds forms perfect blocks, cakes, or legs.
-
Manual forming: Skilled workers can hand-roll and shape the mixture into irregular crab leg shapes.
The formed “crab meat” is then chilled to set it into a firm, stable block. At this point, you have a final product nearly indistinguishable from real crab in looks and texture!
Step 5: Packaging & Shipping
The imitation crab legs and cakes are packaged into vacuum sealed bags or rigid plastic containers. Pasteurization or retort cooking is used to destroy bacteria and extend shelf life.
Finally, the packaged products are boxed up, labeled, and ready for distribution. They can be shipped frozen or refrigerated.
And that’s how you go from whole fish to imitation crab products! With a few simple ingredients and processing steps, inexpensive fish is transformed into a versatile, crab-like product.
Next time you enjoy an order of crab rangoons, a seafood salad topped with “krab”, or a California roll, you’ll know the fascinating process used to make this popular imitation seafood. With its affordable price and convenience, imitation crab offers an accessible alternative to pricey real crab.
How Is Imitation Crab Made?
Imitation crab is made with surimi, a paste made out of finely shredded or pulverized fish. After the fish is minced, it is heated and pressed into shapes that resemble meat from a crab leg. The resulting imitation crab looks similar to the original crab in its coloring and texture.
Binding agents, like egg white, starch, vegetable oil, or sugar, are added to the surimi paste to make the meat stick together. Occasionally, monosodium glutamate (MSG) is added to the surimi. Orange or red coloring is the key ingredient added to make the mixture resemble shellfish meat. For the preservation of the product, the makers vacuum seal and pasteurize the imitation crab meat. When you buy the product, you will eat it straight from the package.
Which Should You Choose?
When choosing between real crab and imitation crab, you should consider:
- The price. Imitation crab is often easier on the wallet, as fresh crab can be very costly.â
- Nutritional value. Both are similar in calorie count, but real crab meat has more protein, vitamins, and minerals, and is much less processed.
- Ease of use. You can use imitation crab straight from the package. The product is also easy to find in various forms like sticks, chunks, shreds, or flakes. â
Imitation crab, as its name says, is a mock version of crabmeat. Itâs a highly processed food containing minced fillet, egg whites, salt, sugar, and other additives to make it look like real crab meat. Itâs more affordable, but less nutritious, than fresh crab meat. The decision is yours to make as to which youll buy for dinner.Â
Amazing! How Imitation crab is made – Food Factory
FAQ
Is eating imitation crab good for you?
Can vegans eat imitation crab?
What kind of fish is in imitation crab?
Imitation crab, also known as surimi, is primarily made from Alaskan Pollock.
Does imitation crab have any real meat in it?
People often refer to imitation crab, which originated in Japan, as “crab-flavored,” “surimi,” or “krab.” In Japan, people sometimes refer to imitation crab as “kamaboko.” Generally, imitation crab contains no actual crab meat. It does, however, sometimes contain a small piece of crab extract to add crab flavor.