Crab sticks are popular in salads and snacks. Until now, many argue about the dangers and benefits of this product for our health. Delicious semi-finished products are used in many dishes, because they give them a pleasant aftertaste and “zest”. We will tell you what this product is made of and how to choose the right crab sticks in the store.
History of appearance
Crab sticks began to be produced in the twentieth century in Japan. This was due to the fact that the number of crabs began to decline sharply off the Japanese coast. But for the inhabitants of the land of the rising sun, the loss of the delicacy would be a tragedy, because from the crab in this the country prepared a wide variety of dishes, eating boiled and fried, adding to soups, snacks.
They came up with the idea to imitate crab meat. The preparation was as follows: fish meat was chopped, excess moisture was removed, sticks or cubes were formed, and sent to the freezer.
This is how this product initially looked. But in our country, in order to reduce the cost and improve the visual quality, they began to add dyes and flavors to crab sticks.
The percentage of fish has also decreased - at the moment it is a maximum of 25%, although earlier it was twice as much.
What's inside the crab sticks?
In taste and appearance, this product really resembles a crab. But the meat of this sea dweller is not there. A variety of ingredients are added to produce a crab-like flavor.
Traditionally, the composition includes:
- Surimi. This is minced meat from the cheapest fish species: perch, pollock.
- Egg powder - is necessary to increase the level of protein in the product.
- Starch, which is needed to save the form.
- Carrageenan. It is a substance that increases the mass of the product, which allows manufacturers to reduce costs. It is obtained from algae that have antioxidant activity.
- Dyes and flavors.
- Monosodium glutamate or a flavor enhancer. Despite the fact that many scientists consider this supplement one of the main enemies of man, the Japanese necessarily use monosodium glutamate in their diet.
- Vegetable oil.
- Food additives E420 171 and 450. By the way, in some European countries they are prohibited because they can cause an allergic reaction.
However, if used irregularly, the product does not pose a hazard. The main thing is to choose high quality crab sticks.
Purchase recommendations
Which crab sticks to buy is up to you. But we recommend choosing a well-known manufacturer, buying vacuum-packed products
When buying, you should pay attention to:
- The composition of the product. Without fail, it must be indicated "surimi". Otherwise, you should not buy such a product - after all, instead of fish meat, there are clearly not the most useful substances there.
- Stick structure. They should be juicy, not break when bent, and the sticks should also unfold. If you see a mass stuck together, you should not buy such a product.
In addition, the packaging must contain information about the manufacturer, release date, shelf life.
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