An article in today's Wall Streel journal (no link) writes about surimi which the Wiki link describes as "a food product typically made from white-fleshed fish (such as pollock or hake) that has been pulverized to a paste and attains a rubbery texture when cooked...The most common surimi product in the Western market is imitation or artificial crab legs". The US FDA used to require that manufacturers of surimi crabsticks label it "imitation crab" but have now ruled that they can call it "Crab-flavored seafood, made with surimi, a fully cooked fish protein". This has angered lobster and crab producers who think the new label will confuse consumers. The WSJ says that surimi sales have risen steadily as the "crab" is used in Californa rolls, pizzas and seafood salads. One Japanese chef working in Washington is quoted as saying there is no point in using real crab in the rolls since it is more expensive but adds little extra taste.
