· カニカマ · kanikama
Kanikama
Kanikama is imitation crab — surimi (usually pollock) shaped and dyed to mimic crab legs. It's what's in most 'crab' rolls, including the California roll. Not crab.
- Also known as
- imitation crab, krab, surimi, crab stick
- Species
- Gadus chalcogrammus (Surimi (usually Alaska pollock))
- Category
- Other & modern neta
- Texture
- springy, uniform — mild, lightly sweetened, processed
- Peak season
- —
- Sustainability
- green — Usually Alaska pollock, one of the better-managed wild fisheries — so 'fake crab' is often the more sustainable pick.
- Mercury
- Not in the FDA consumer table
- Pregnancy
- Generally safe
- Price tier
- $
What kanikama really is
Kanikama is surimi — a paste of mild white fish (almost always Alaska pollock), bound, flavored, dyed with a red stripe and formed into crab-leg shapes. Invented in Japan in the 1970s, it’s the “krab” in the vast majority of California rolls, spicy-crab rolls and crab salad.
Not a scam, but know what it is
Calling it “crab” on a menu is loose, but kanikama isn’t junk — it’s a legitimate, inexpensive product. The honest move is just knowing the difference: if a roll’s “crab” is uniform, springy and faintly sweet, it’s surimi, not kani.
The sustainability twist
Because it’s made from well-managed Alaska pollock, imitation crab is frequently the more sustainable choice than some real crab. See kani vs kanikama.