Surimi

Steve explained the Surimi-making process to us as we watched this odorless, colorless, tasteless product being made. At the time, they were mostly processing pollock, which is considered the premiere raw material for surimi, most commonly used in the U.S. as "imitation crabmeat." Surimi made from Alaska Pollock is also found in the fish sandwiches at Dairy Queen, Arby's, Burger King, and McDonald's. It is interesting to note that whereas in the U.S. we have to trick ourselves into believing it is something other than fodder fish, in Asian cultures, surimi is eaten as a food product in its own right (sold as "cured surimi"), and is not used to imitate other foods.

In this case, after the pollock is separated or minced, it is pulverized to a paste, then placed in washing machine-type drums, where it is rinsed several times to (completely--we got to touch and smell it) eliminate odor and taste. Then, additives are mixed in (salt, sugar, oil, seasonings) for taste, and chemical enhancers for texture (transglutaminase and the ever-popular MSG). From there, it's packaged and sent to your local fast food joint. The finished product contains about 76% water, 15% protein, 6.85% carbs, 0.9% fat, and 0.03% cholesterol.

We're torn about what to do with this information, especially Sarah, as (though we've lived in Charleston SC, Naples FL, and Alaska--little bit of prime fishing in all those places), her favorite seafood meal remains the fish combo basket at Long John Silver's.