# What the heck is imitation crab meat and how is it made?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-imitation-crab-meat-and-how-is-it-made/193491>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 7, 2003, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-imitation-crab-meat-and-how-is-it-made/193491 "2003-08-07T01:50:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![BrianS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c6cbf5/32.png) [@BrianS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrianS)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-imitation-crab-meat-and-how-is-it-made/193491/1 "2003-08-07T01:50:18Z")

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I live in the great “Flyover Country” of the Midwest, so fresh seafood is impossible to find.

However, I can always seem to find imitation crab meat. What the heck is this stuff and how is it made?

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-imitation-crab-meat-and-how-is-it-made/193491/2 "2003-08-07T01:55:59Z")

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It’s fishmeat. Primarily whiting.

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-imitation-crab-meat-and-how-is-it-made/193491/3 "2003-08-07T01:57:08Z")

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Oops…forgot my [link.](http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20030110.htmhttp://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20030110.html)

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**Author:** ![Keith\_Berry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/22d042/32.png) [@Keith\_Berry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keith_Berry)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-imitation-crab-meat-and-how-is-it-made/193491/4 "2003-08-07T01:57:37Z")

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I believe it’s processed fish that’s given a “crab” flavor. So it actually is seafood, of a sort.

It doesn’t really taste like anything in particular. Just filler material for soups, pasta, and such.

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**Author:** ![BrianS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c6cbf5/32.png) [@BrianS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrianS)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-imitation-crab-meat-and-how-is-it-made/193491/5 "2003-08-07T02:06:11Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \*  
> \*\*Oops…forgot my [link.](http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20030110.htmhttp://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20030110.html) \*\*

Um, wrong link?

\*\*Dear Yahoo!:  
Why is Judaism based on maternal lineage?  
Blair  
Roanake, Virginia \*\*

Or are you saying that imitation crab is made of compressed jews?  
😉

**plants tongue firmly in cheek**

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-imitation-crab-meat-and-how-is-it-made/193491/6 "2003-08-07T02:11:54Z")

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[Oh shut up.](http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20030110.html) 😛