Imitation crab
Surimi
Not Kosher
Description
Imitation crab, or surimi, is a fish paste shaped to mimic crab, lobster, or shellfish. It's used in crab sticks, kamaboko, chikuwa, fish balls, and similar products.
Surimi is a processed product, not a living animal. It's usually made from Alaska pollock, with other whitefish used too.
Also known as
- Surimi
- Krab
- Krab meat
- Kamaboko
- Fish tofu
Imitation crab in foreign languages
| Scientific | Surimi |
| Hebrew | סורימי |
| Arabic | سوريمي |
| German | Surumi |
| Greek | Σουρίμι |
| Russian | Сурими |
| Chinese | 魚漿 |
| Japanese | 魚肉練り製品 |
| Korean | 고기풀 |
| Thai | เนื้อปลาบด |
Warnings & Kosher Issues
- Kosher status depends on the source fish and the plant. It's typically made from pollock, which is kosher on its own, but the finished product needs reliable kosher certification because of additives, flavorings, and shared equipment. Without a hechsher, treat it as not kosher.
- Contains no real crab. In the UK it's now sold as seafood sticks rather than crab sticks for that reason.