Crab sticks (also called imitation crab meat or labeled as krab) are a type of processed seafood made of surimi, or finely pulverized white fish flesh, that has been shaped and cured to resemble snow crab legs.
Sugiyo Co., Ltd. (スギヨ, Sugiyo?) of Japan first produced and patented crab sticks in 1973, under the name Kanikama. In 1976, David Berelson, Riva Berelson and The Berelson Company, San Francisco, US, working with Sugiyo pioneered the introduction worldwide. This is still their common name in Japan, but internationally they are marketed under a variety of names, including Krab Sticks, Ocean Sticks, Sea Legs and Imitation Crab Sticks. Legal restrictions in most jurisdictions now prevent them from being marketed as ``Crab Sticks``, as they do not always actually contain any crab meat[citation needed].
//Individual ``sticks`` in many forms are usually coloured red or yellowish red on the outside, with a rectangular cross-section or a cross-section fibre showing white meat on the inside. In some stick forms, strings of the white ``crab`` flesh can be torn from the stick in a similar manner to string cheese. The texture is rubbery, with a slightly salty taste and smell similar to steamed crab. Cross fibre is more similar to the actual texture and fibre of snow crab or king crab legs.
Despite the popular name, crab sticks do not always actually contain any crab. In fact the primary ingredient in most crab sticks is minced Alaska pollock from the North Pacific[citation needed], often mixed with egg albumen or other binding ingredient[1]. To make the characteristic crab stick, crab flavouring is added to the meat (either artificial or crab-derived), and finally a layer of red food colouring is applied to the outside.
From a health point of view, quality imitation crab is usually lower in cholesterol than real crab meat, but is also highly processed.
Since crab sticks are cooked during the curing process, they can be eaten directly from the package. They are often used in seafood salads as a cheaper substitute for real crab meat.
They are also used in fishing as bait.
A California roll is a sushi roll made with crab stick, avocado, and cucumber (sometimes) rolled with sesame seeds on the outside. Russian, American, and European deli counters feature various salads prepared with crab sticks, eggs, vegetables and herbs chopped together and seasoned with mayonnaise.
