Surimi and Crab Rangoon [moved from Boston board]

[pollystyrene]

Tell me more of this sirimi! Does it involve animal parts at all? I know this is one of the least chowish questions ever, but could a vegetarian broaden her horizons and actually eat crab rangoon in good conscience (if not in good taste)?

[lhb78]

I've had some very good crab rangoons in my life. In fact, since this was moved from the Boston board.. have you tried the rangoons from Bejing Taste (Charlestown, I think- they deliver)? Some of my favorite... if, as a vegetarian, you eat fish then I see no harm in trying them. I actually like the nigiri sushi with the fake crab meat- don't ask why but I do.

[ChrisOC]

I allways thought surimi was that little tray of flaked pollock with orange edges you find at the supermarket. They also use it in the seafood salad at the salad bar.
I know it isn't crab, but it has a good flavor and is relatively inexpensive. I have used it in curry, newberg or just sprinkled with soy sauce. I think it is good unless you try to pretend that it is really crab meat.

[MC Slim JB]

You'll also see the word surimi used to refer more generally to the process of taking animal flesh, grinding it up, making a slurry of it, and extruding it into a uniform solid. Crab stick and fish balls are probably the best-know Asian surimi products. If I'm not mistaken, a lot of turkey products (turkey ham, turkey bacon, etc.) are made this way, too.

[pollystyrene]

Thanks you two, for the education and for letting me down easy. Oh, well, maybe I'll squirt some cream cheese on my Vegetarian Delight.

[newhound]

"taking animal flesh, grinding it up, making a slurry of it, and extruding it into a uniform solid"

MC, thanks for that. I'm just glad that I've already eaten today. Can anyone think of a positive way to use the word "slurry" to describe a food product?

Has anyone ever seen Crab Rangoon in a Burmese restaurant? Apparently they were first introduced at the 1904 St Louis World's fair, although Trader Vic's stakes a claim too, in the 1950's.

[MC Slim JB]

Anyone who's had a Fenway Frank should be comfortable with, nay, enthusiastic about, the idea of extruded meat slurry. Or a bologna sandwich. Or a Slim Jim.

I actually think turkey ham is a pretty good product, plus it's fun to say the name of my favorite version of such, known as "Mr. Turkey Ham Chub". It's kind of musical.

[dream_of_giusti]

If it makes you feel better, most crab rangoon is not actually made with crab or surimi.

[SiksElement]

does the word "emulsion" sound any better?

[Allstonian]

It's usually called surimi - it's fake crab made of fish (I believe pollock.) Not good for vegetarians, I'm afraid.

[Karl S]

Pollock, btw, is a perfectly decent fish. I(And surimi is also made from hake, and talk to Spaniards how hake rocks their world.) Surimi is a product of longstanding, perfectly fine. Surely it's not the same as crab meat, but it's a perfectly decent product for the kinds of uses it was developed for.