By now almost everyone knows that those known as “crab” sticks, which are presented in salads or in some Japanese makis, among other dishes, have no trace of the crustacean that gives them their name. They are made from surimi, a fish paste from traditional Japanese cuisine and from other surrounding countries, with which meatballs, sausages and other preparations for various dishes are made.
This preparation has been industrialized for a few decades now and, little by little, it has been introduced into global gastronomy, until it has become a quite popular product. The sticks and other preparations are made with very abundant and not excessively appreciated fish, which are deboned, crumbled and washed several times to remove the fat and various remains that may remain during the process.
The resulting paste, or surimi, is mixed with other ingredients to create "crab sticks", but they are also given shapes that imitate those of prawns or lobster tails, among others, in which these shellfish are conspicuous by their absence. . To make the final paste, surimi is combined with sugar and sorbitol, which is a sweetener; flavorings, preservatives such as sodium trypolyphosphate, and binders such as flour or egg white.
The last step is to heat it to shape it and dye it a reddish color similar to that of the crustaceans it intends to imitate. Hamburgers, meatballs and other preparations based on shredded fish are also made with it. Normally, those used are cheap species, such as Alaska pollock, the most common. Although it is not the only one, Atlantic cod, swordfish, tilapia and others are also used. What it does not have at all is crab of any kind.
Whether the bars or the replicas, they have nothing to do, neither in taste nor in texture, with the original crustaceans. But there are also notable differences in their nutritional properties. If you compare surimi paste with Alaskan king crab, the numbers are curious to say the least. There is no diversity in terms of calories, about 95 per 100 gr in both cases, although with the difference that in the false crab they come from carbohydrates, while in the real one they are due to protein (which provides up to twice as much). , since it completely lacks carbohydrates.
They differ, and a lot, in Omega 3: 30 mg in surimi for 460 mg in crab. This one has more cholesterol and sodium than the imitation, but also many more vitamins and minerals. This is partly due to the fact that those that could come from the original fish, which has them, disappear to a large extent during the washing process, which is repeated several times to remove the smell, apart from various remains. That also strips it of all the flavor and that is why it has to be flavored.
In false crab, surimi or fish paste makes up between 35 and 50% of the total weight. The rest are ingredients such as water, necessary to obtain the desired texture and control product costs. Starches are added, from potatoes, wheat or corn, among others, which are used to give firmness and facilitate freezing. The amount must be controlled to prevent excess starch from making it too soft and inconsistent.
Then there are proteins, usually egg white, although it can also be soy, which improve texture, color and shine. Sugar and sorbitol help keep them in shape when thawed and give them sweetness. Vegetable oils are incorporated to improve texture, maintain white color and increase durability. Salt, apart from flavoring, helps the flaked fish acquire a gel texture and is easier to handle.
No matter how unaccustomed the palate is to authentic crustaceans, be they prawns, crabs or lobster, both the texture and the flavor are completely different from the originals. They do not look alike. But if anyone has doubts about whether they have been given a salad with real crab, just look at the price. Infinitely cheaper when it comes to imitation. Labeling, if done properly, will also give clues as to what is being purchased.
It is not necessary to think for all this that surimi and its derivatives are harmful to health. After all, it is fish, with its nutrients and proteins, but you have to take into account the additives that are added to it, because depending on what it is, it will not be the healthiest. In any case, you have to read the labels when buying to use it at home to find out what it contains specifically.
Surimi is a relatively recent product on the Spanish market, but, as we have mentioned, it has been part of Asian gastronomic culture for centuries. Its industrialization and expansion dates back to the late 1960s, when Japan saw a way to take advantage of what it considered to be low-quality fish catches while revitalizing the local fishing industry.
Ten years earlier, the machinery had been invented that would lead to the large-scale production of that product. Little by little it was exported to countries, especially the United States, where it is a very popular food. If at first almost only Alaska pollock was used, later other species were included in the list of those most suitable for surimi.
Every year between 2 and 3 million tons of fish are converted into this paste. The largest producers are the United States and Japan, followed by Thailand and China, where the industry does not stop growing.
