Among the products in your grocer’s seafood aisle, imitation crab meat is probably the one you understand least about, not forgetting you are hesitant to get. The product’s name certainly doesn’t help, because the word imitation makes you think it’s of lesser quality and probably includes lots of extra chemical ingredients. But if you were to investigate into the matter, you’d discover that imitation crab meat, also referred to as surimi, is in fact quite healthy. By learning the product just a little better, you’ll be even more willing to try the various Alaska Surimi Seafood varieties that make the perfect addition to any meal.

The term surimi originates from both the Japanese and Chinese traditions of producing fish based products that in turn are accustomed to imitate shellfish such as crab or lobster. Needless to say, such traditions did not always involve imitating shellfish, as the fish paste was often eaten as is or in other recipes. In the U.S. most surimi products are flavored with shellfish, thus they often imitate crab or lobster products.

Although surimi products are less costly than the shellfish varieties they mimic, this will not mean that they are less healthy. In fact, all the Alaska Surimi Seafood products contribute healthy nutrients to any meal. Because such products are made from fish, mostly pollock, you get all the benefits you’ll obtain by eating any fish. Fish are a healthy way to obtain low-fat proteins, perfect for any diet. You should use surimi products in any recipe that calls for shellfish, such as for example soups, stuffed mushrooms, even your own sushi! The sky may be the limit with surimi, and be sure to look at the great recipes that you could find online.

One last item to consider when making your surimi purchases is sustainability. Kanikama stick are produced in a sustainable fashion. Fortunately, with Alaska Surimi Seafood you are guaranteed a quality, not forgetting sustainably produced product. Sustainability is essential because overfishing, and subsequently destruction of entire fish populations occurs way to easily. Fish products which are sustainably approved result from companies that are careful to not overfish and only fish quantities that allow for the fish population to be maintained. This way both you and the source of one’s food are healthy!