Why is imitation crab meat a thing?

because of crustacean allergies.

>why is peanut free a thing?
>why is lactose free a thing?
>why is gluten free a thing?

>>7732545
it's much cheaper and I think you can farm raise it

I eat it but it really isn't a good substitute for crab

Imitation crab doesn't imitate crab well at all. It got called that name for some reason, and the name stuck. Best to think of it as something different from crab entirely.

Nothing particularly wrong with it either, as it doesn't taste bad.

>>7732548
>being this naive

>>7732545

Because extracting the meat from a crab has to be done manually because its such a complex process and often it doesnt look very appetizing nor does it stay good for very long. This makes immitation crabsticks a lot more lucrative for businesses since manual labor costs more money than letting a machine pump out crabsticks

>>7732578
Can people who are allergic to shellfish eat imitation crab meat?
>yes because imitation crabmeat is made from fish

>>7732575
yeah, it's more of a marketing branding trick then anything. calling it Faux Crab fish sticks just doesn't sound as appealing, that and JEWS.

JEWS like im-crab meat.

Pollock is kosher, so they can eat it. They can also eat mock ham or bacon products made from chicken. If it contains any non-kosher ingredients or non-kosher preparation though, it won't be allowed.

>>7732545

the term "fish sticks" already refers to something else

>>7732649
but this is not the main purpose or use of imitation crab.

Imitation crab was originally invented over a century ago in Japan with the intention of having cheaper and easier access to crab without much of the hassle involved in getting it. Food allergies were not really of a concern back then, just a better product for business. Imitation crab is actually a type of fish. I don't really see the problem with it, just don't expect me to pay the same price I would for real crab.

Here in England I always see it labelled as 'seafood sticks'.

>>7732714
kys

>>7732714
oh ya, what is the main purpose or use of imitation crab?

>>7732761
the funny part only until recently because of over fishing crab was not considered a delicacy and a plebeian their food.

>>7732545
Why is mock chicken a thing?

>>7732877
see >>7732571 >>7732582 >>7732761

>>7732829
This, I just thought they were like fish fingers or chicken nuggets, a weird amalgamation of meat thats sold for convenience and cost reasons

I never realised they were supposed to imitate crab at all

>>7732545
They don't even call them imitation crab here, they are just seafood sticks.

File: 1457582082505.jpg (26KB, 400x462px) Image search: [Google]

26KB, 400x462px

>>7732545
Why is real crab meat a thing?

It's boiled to hell, has barely any flavor on it's own and what little flavor it does have tastes rancid. In fact, it's so shitty that everyone is forced to cover it up by dunking their crab meat in several sticks worth of butter.

Oh and let's not forget how small the portions are and how overpriced it is. As much as I enjoy shredding the skin on my hands and leaving my fingers aching from breaking open stinking seabugs, I'll take imitation any day of the week.

>>7732998
Perhaps you should try eating crab at a non-pleb tier restaurant and preferably not in America if you want to taste it and not butter.

>>7733017
I've been all around the UK and Germany for work and it's been the same experience in those places as well. White trash (or the equivalent of) wearing bibs and cracking open claws as they make a mess of not only their table but themselves before drowning tiny morsels of the foul shit in tubs of butter. I don't judge food by single examples and while I have tasted agreeable crab before the majority of my experiences with crab have been typically nauseating.

I have a feeling that when I finally try real crab I'm going to be disappointed it doesn't taste familiar at all.

>>7732879
Lobster was the same way

>>7732920
More like fish bologna.

>>7732900
Except it's not. fucking. crab.

It's colored, flavored fish paste from waste byproduct. The main reason for it is making use of food industry scraps, just like hot dogs and tater tots.

Immitation crab costs 1/3 as much as shrimp in my area. When I want a good cheap cocktail sauce vector, it's a no brainer.

>>7732879
>live in a coastal area
>unless you catch it yourself seafood is considered a luxury

>>7732545
Had crab legs at a buffet once, it was weird and I liked it a lot. Started asking my parents for crab, they gave in and brought some home. I tasted it and was disappointed, turns out they bought imitation krab. I just thought I didn't like crab anymore.
fuckers

>>7733211
>cocktail sauce vector
I thought I was alone in needing to find excuses to have some cocktail sauce

>>7732548
This. I wish it actually tasted like crab though. I really miss shellfish famalam

Is crab good? I've never tasted it.
Is there any point in trying some frozen sticks (or whatever they're called) or are they never good?

>>7732998
Brutal...

>>7733329
Well, considering imitation crab meat isn't meat, that kind of ruins the point. Although you may be able to find some frozen crab in the freezer.

You could always get canned, but that's like the difference between a tuna steak and chicken of the sea. Would be good in a crab cake though.

>>7733177
>It's colored, flavored fish paste from waste byproduct. The main reason for it is making use of food industry scraps,
No it is not.

>>7733353
I would think it's not imitation, but I'm not sure. Is there some fancy name on the ingredient list that makes it sound like a crab species or something, or should I just look for it to say "fake crab"?

>>7732545
I've had good imitation crab before. Made California rolls with it. But haven't seen the brand in over a decade and don't even remember it. The last time I got some at Kroger, it was awful.

>>7733177
>The main reason for it is making use of food industry scraps
no, the fish is specifically raised to make this product, which is a cheaper substitute for crab. It's not as good as the real deal but it has some of the properties that crab possesses and that is why it is produced

>>7732655
Jew here, fuck imitation crab meat and fuck real crabs too

>>7732545
SO THAT YOU CAN PROMISE TO USE HALF A TON OF IT IN SOME HUGE EVENT THAT WILL INVOLVE THE ENTIRE TRI STATE AREA

AND THEN NEVER ACTUALLY DELIVER ANY RESULTS

I'M STILL FUCKING MAD

>>7733546
>implying he wasnt arrested

>>7732545
maybe because christians traditionally aren't supposed to eat shellfish.

leviticus 11:9-12

I love imitation crab, even better than the real thing imo

File: 1439867960604.jpg (122KB, 500x393px) Image search: [Google]

122KB, 500x393px

>>7732545

>>7733362
Yes, it fucking is. It's made from surimi (fish paste) with a blend of things for texture and taste, then it's extruded in a log with that pinkish dye, and cut on the bias.

>>7733398
The fish used to make surimi include:

Alaska pollock (Theragra chalcogramma)
Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua)
Big-head pennah croaker (Pennahia macrocephalus[5])
Bigeyes (Priacanthus arenatus[6])
Golden threadfin bream (Nemipterus virgatus)
Milkfish (Chanos chanos)
Pacific whiting (Merluccius productus)
Various shark species
Swordfish (Xiphias gladius)
Tilapia
Oreochromis mossambicus
Oreochromis niloticus niloticus
Black bass
Smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu)
Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)
Florida black bass (Micropterus floridanus)

>>7733680
>>7733680
You said it was made from waste fish product and food industry scraps.

I said no and I will say it again - 'NO it fucking isn't'

You have spent one and a half hours trying to look up various fish - it's not extruded with a pinkish dye, the pink layer is another layer put over the sticks.

There was a documentary on TV backalong were they followed the Fish from Britain to China (or Thailand can't remember) and back to the shelf in Britain.

It's not made from scraps. hope you never wasted too much time.

>>7733045
>>7732998
Stop eating in shitty restaurants you fucking thick twat. Learn to discriminate between good food and bad food. Don't slander an entire animal just because your worthless flyover ass wasn't raised to appreciate freshness and care in preparation

>>7733111
good trips and yeah.Lobster used to be poor people food.It was given to slaves and prisoners as recently as the early 20th century but now it's 40 dollars to get a decent lobster at a restaurant

>>7732575
This. I don't think of it as "imitation crab" at all. It's a surimi product. And it's delightful. Makes a pretty good sandwich. Or just a snack.

>>7733631
>christians
I hope you don't live in a Western country, because being ignorant about the very basics of the dominant religion in your country is fucking embarrassing.

>>7733709
>It's not made from scraps
This. It's like claiming that tofu is made from "soymilk scraps."

>>7732998
>implying any food is good when it's boiled to hell
>oh but no it's just that weird expensive crab being evil and gross

>>7733111
>>7734622
>le lobster was food for prisoners and poor people maymay XD
Yeah in a tiny geographic area where there was an excess and before technology became available to contain, chill and transport it in a timely manner.
Of course seafood is shit food for those who can't afford anything else when it's the half-spoiled leftovers. You know how they cooked the lobster served to prisoners? Boiled to shit to cover for the spoilage and mashed up shell and all.

Once transportation and containment/preservation technology advanced enough that you could get it relatively fresh without being right on the coast when it's caught it was quickly featured in many high-end restaurants and spread to its current fame. This also resulted in a reduction of the population from previous abundance further increasing the price.

>>7733177
>waste byproduct
>The main reason for it is making use of food industry scraps, just like hot dogs and tater tots.
Hotdogs are just a type of sausage and the "main reason" they were created was not to use "food industry scraps", you're retarded.

>>7732998
You have never actually had crab meat before.

>>7732998

I actually feel the same way. Crab just isn't really that good a taste, certainly not worth the cost, and outside of a social event the whole process of picking crabs is tedious

>>7732548
>>7732649
Most imitation crab meat contains crab juice in it so people with shellfish allergies can't eat it.

>tfw my friend can't tell the difference between imitation crab meat and actual crab and got all shitty when I asked them if they've ever had actual crab
>no, anon, but is there even a difference? does it even matter?
>mfw they continue to grill me on "well, just HOW different does it taste?"
>they get smug when i fail to describe the taste of crab without saying "crab tastes like fucking CRAB, imitation crab tastes like shitty fish"