# Where does imitation crabmeat come from? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 28, 2000, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-imitation-crabmeat-come-from/11364 "2000-04-28T02:44:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Llardball](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f6c823/32.png) [@Llardball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llardball)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2000, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-imitation-crabmeat-come-from/11364/1 "2000-04-28T02:44:00Z")
Is it a real fish that tastes like crabmeat or is it totally artificial? ---
**Author:** ![abderian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de0a6/32.png) [@abderian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abderian)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2000, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-imitation-crabmeat-come-from/11364/2 "2000-04-28T02:49:00Z")
Oh, I love that stuff. I once asked the person behind the fish counter, and was told it’s a whitefish with “spices” added. On searching, I found this: [http://www.ofd.com/ifi/05-276-18.html](http://www.ofd.com/ifi/05-276-18.html) \*Ingredient Statement Pollock, Wheat Starch, Sorbitol, Modified Food Starch, Sugar, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Salt, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Paprika, Color Added. NOTE: The “Natural Flavoring” component is “Natural Crab Flavors WONF” (with other natural flavors). The “Artificial Flavor” is crab flavor.\* ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2000, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-imitation-crabmeat-come-from/11364/3 "2000-04-28T02:50:00Z")
It’s just fish, flavored like crab. I don’t know if the flavoring is natural or artificial. My cats are NOT fooled by it, however. ---
**Author:** ![Llardball](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f6c823/32.png) [@Llardball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llardball)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2000, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-imitation-crabmeat-come-from/11364/4 "2000-04-28T03:35:00Z")
This brings up another question. What the heck is “natural flavoring” anyway? Do they need to list that on the package? Wouldn’t you figure that there are “natural flavors” in the food? Do they think we are dumb or is there another explanation? ---
**Author:** ![guitarmax\_99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f19dbf/32.png) [@guitarmax\_99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guitarmax_99)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2000, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-imitation-crabmeat-come-from/11364/5 "2000-04-28T03:54:00Z")
I beleive the fish in question here is refered to as pollack. ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2000, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-imitation-crabmeat-come-from/11364/6 "2000-04-28T05:07:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Llardball: > **This brings up another question. What the heck is “natural flavoring” anyway? Do they need to list that on the package? Wouldn’t you figure that there are “natural flavors” in the food? Do they think we are dumb or is there another explanation?** AFAIK, natural flavoring refers to chemicals that have been extracted from a “natural” substance and are mixed back in. They don’t necessarily have to be the flavors of the foods in the product, and are often a mix. They’re differentiated from _artificial flavorings_ because artificial flavorings are synthesized in a laboratory, and represent someone’s idea of the same flavor which is cheaper to produce. Although I guess artificial flavors could represent flavors that aren’t remotely like any foods we eat.(My brother once told me the story of someone who mixed two fruity flavors while making candy in the lab; said flavors produced artificial vomit flavor, with quite a strong smell. Contrary to kids’ commercials, not all lab accidents should be marketed). I think they tell us because they’re either nice or they have to, since we’ve told our government to try and let us know what we eat could do to us (at least in the US, that’s the FDA). panama jack Okay, where’d the heck the cursor go, anyway? ---
**Author:** ![mega\_the\_roo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@mega\_the\_roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mega_the_roo)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2000, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-imitation-crabmeat-come-from/11364/7 "2000-04-28T05:25:00Z")
T’is pollack indeed, and boy is it yummy. * * * “Mega the Roo - Patron Saint of Marsupials and Shampoo” -Ms Riddles ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2000, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-imitation-crabmeat-come-from/11364/8 "2000-04-28T05:30:00Z")
It’s Pollock (not pollack), and the main reason it is used is because it has a similar texture to crab meat. The crab taste is added afterwards, I believe by boiling or soaking the pollock in crab juice. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2000, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-imitation-crabmeat-come-from/11364/9 "2000-04-28T06:43:00Z")
From imitation crabs, of course. ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2000, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-imitation-crabmeat-come-from/11364/10 "2000-04-28T11:29:00Z")
I’m remember this being discussed before, and one person said that the fish in question is carefully washed to remove as much “fish” flavor as possible. Some products are then sold that way, with a fairly neutral flavor, others have crab meat flavoring added. ---
**Author:** ![jackas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3bc359/32.png) [@jackas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackas)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2000, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-imitation-crabmeat-come-from/11364/11 "2000-04-28T13:17:00Z")
I have asked several people this question as I used to eat the stuff all the time in seafood cocktail mixes and stuff like that. I say ‘used’ to eat, as since I found out what it was I have not eaten it since. I am assuming you are referring to the white and red stuff that is sometimes flat and sometimes roundish. The origin of this stuff is from a cow. Several of the stories refer to tripe (the lining of a cows stomach) which it boiled with fish stock (or pieces of fish?) to give it the flavor. It is then painted with the red stuff to make it look like crab meat. I’m only passing on information here, for all I know it could be an urban myth. Can anyone confirm this? ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2000, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-imitation-crabmeat-come-from/11364/12 "2000-04-28T13:55:00Z")
If the damn stuff was made of cow tripe, they would have put it on the label. Every package of imitation crabmeat I’ve ever seen has listed pollock as the primary ingredient. Which didn’t stop me from sneaking handfuls of the stuff every time I went into the deli freezer at the supermarket I worked at back in the early 80s. Yum!! * * * All I wanna do is to thank you, even though I don’t know who you are… ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2000, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-imitation-crabmeat-come-from/11364/13 "2000-04-28T14:14:00Z")
> [@](#): > > The origin of this stuff is from a cow. > > Several of the stories refer to tripe (the lining of a cows stomach) which it boiled with fish stock (or pieces of fish?) to give it the flavor. It is then painted with the red stuff to make it look like crab meat. People, people, people (or in this case, **jackas** ), you have _got_ to stop reading those PETA pamphlets! ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2000, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-imitation-crabmeat-come-from/11364/14 "2000-04-29T05:13:00Z")
Excuse me while I **vomit**. Whatever it’s made from, it sure doesn’t taste like crab meat. I once tried it as a substitute in _crab & asparagus soup_, and the resulting flavour was… um, just plain strange. Because it’s only an approximation of the true flavor of crab meat, the soup came out tasting somewhat tainted or spoiled. To a sensitive pallet, it’s the equivalent of a pianist striking a flat when she was aiming for a natural- very close, but one bad note can ruin the whole piece. It would have been hard to get any of my guests to eat it and be fooled, and I wisely decided not to try. * * * When will all the rhetorical questions end? ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2000, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-imitation-crabmeat-come-from/11364/15 "2000-04-28T21:46:00Z")
Green Bean, that joke was so predictable that you beat me to it.