Surimi

Surimi is a minced, washed fish paste whose concentrated muscle proteins form a moldable base for Japanese foods and products such as imitation crab.

Fish myofibrillar proteins: Contractile muscle proteins, including myosin and actin, that give fish muscle its structure and functional properties. Washing concentrates these proteins, which form surimi’s gel when heated.
Alaska pollock: A North Pacific cod species widely harvested for food and used as a major source of surimi. Its mild flavor and pale flesh make it a common raw material for surimi.
Imitation crab: A processed seafood product made primarily from surimi and shaped and flavored to resemble crab meat. It is the best-known commercial use of surimi outside Japan.
Japanese cuisine: The culinary traditions and foods of Japan, shaped by regional ingredients, techniques, and history. Surimi developed within Japanese foodways and remains a base for traditional fish products.
Minced fish: Fish flesh reduced to small pieces by chopping or grinding, without necessarily being washed or refined. Surimi begins as minced fish but undergoes washing and dewatering to change its composition.
Salt-soluble proteins: Proteins that dissolve in salt solutions, including myofibrillar proteins such as myosin. Salt helps disperse surimi proteins so they can form a cohesive paste.
Pacific whiting: A hake species of the eastern North Pacific harvested for food and surimi production. It is another important white-fleshed fish used to produce surimi.
Kamaboko: A Japanese processed fish cake made from seasoned fish paste that is shaped and heat-set. Surimi is a principal base for this established family of Japanese fish cakes.
Kamaboko history: The history of Japanese fish cakes made by shaping and cooking seasoned fish paste. Surimi processing is closely tied to the long tradition of kamaboko.
Fish sauce: A salty liquid condiment produced by fermenting fish with salt. Fish sauce preserves fish through fermentation, unlike surimi’s washing and protein-gel processing.

Linked from 9 pages