What Is Imitation Crab Meat ACTUALLY Made Of?

What Is Imitation Crab Meat ACTUALLY Made Of?

Considering it’s got the word “imitation” in it, you really shouldn’t be too shocked to find that imitation crab is far from the real thing. And yeah, that tightly packed red-and-white stuff you’ll find displayed in the seafood section of the grocery store may resemble crab, but it’s obviously not really made of crab at all.

Here’s the question, though: what is imitation crab meat made of? And more importantly, is it worth your money?

Weirdly enough, while you won’t find any crab meat in imitation crab, you will find seafood — because imitation crab is made up of a paste called surimi, which is basically processed, mashed-up fish. Usually, it’s actually a combination of fish such as Alaskan pollock or Pacific whiting fish that have been put through a complicated manufacturing process and turned into a gel-like substance. Obviously, seafood paste doesn’t exactly sound all that delicious, so in order to create the right taste and texture, manufacturers add in starches, sugars, artificial flavorings, and sometimes MSG. However, all these additives significantly decrease the nutritional value of imitation crab, and they can even include gluten, so it’s best to stay away if you’re sensitive to that.