Surimi: Difference between revisions

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{{short description|Meat paste, usually made from fish}}

[[Image:TubOfSurimi.jpg|thumb|right|300px|A tub of uncured surimi ready for further processing]]

{{For|the Neuroticfish album|Surimi (album)}}

'''''Surimi''''' ({{zh-cpl|c=[[wiktionary:魚|魚]][[wiktionary:漿|漿]]|p=yú jiāng|l=fish puree/slurry}}, [[Japanese language|Japanese]]: [[wiktionary:擂|擂]][[wiktionary:り|り]][[wiktionary:身|身]], lit. "ground meat") is a Japanese loan word which refers to 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 term is also commonly applied to similar food products made from lean [[meat]] in a similar process.

{{Italic title}}

{{Infobox food

Surimi is a much-enjoyed food product in many Asian cultures and is available in many shapes, forms, and textures. The most common surimi product in the Western market is imitation or [[Crab stick|artificial crab leg]]s. Such a product is often sold as ''sea legs'' in America, or ''seafood sticks'' in the UK.

| name = ''Surimi''

| image = File:TubOfSurimi.jpg

| image_size = 300px

| caption = Surimi made of ground fish

| alternate_name =

| country = [[Japan]]

| region =

| creator =

| type = [[Fish paste]]

| served =

| main_ingredient = Fish, meats

| variations =

| calories =

| other =

}}

[[File:Kanikama.jpg|thumb|[[Crab stick]]s – imitation crab meat made from surimi]]

{{nihongo||擂り身 / すり身|'''Surimi'''|'[[ground meat]]'|lead=yes}} is a paste made from [[Fish as food|fish]] or other [[meat]]. It can also be any of a number of [[East Asian cuisine|East Asian foods]] that use that paste as their primary ingredient. It is available in many shapes, forms, and textures, and is often used to mimic the texture and color of the meat of [[Lobster meat|lobster]], [[Crab meat|crab]], grilled [[Japanese eel]], or [[shellfish]].

== Production ==

Lean meat from fish or land animals is first separated or minced. The meat then may be rinsed numerous times to eliminate undesirable odors. The resulting meat is then beaten and pulverized to form a gelatinous paste. Depending on the desired texture and flavour of the ''surimi'' product, the gelatinous paste is mixed with differing proportions of [[food additive|additives]] such as [[starch]], [[egg white]], [[salt]], [[vegetable oil]], [[sorbitol]], [[sugar]], [[soy protein]], and [[seasoning]]s. If the ''surimi'' is to be packed and frozen, food-grade [[cryonics|cryoprotectant]]s also are added while the meat paste is being mixed. Under most circumstances, surimi is immediately processed, formed and cured into ''surimi'' products at the time it is produced.

==History==

The resulting paste, depending on the type of fish and whether it was rinsed in the production process, is typically tasteless and must be [[flavouring|flavor]]ed. According to the [[United States Department of Agriculture|USDA]] Food Nutrient Database 16-1, fish ''surimi'' contains about 76% [[water]], 15% [[protein]], 6.85% [[carbohydrate]], 0.9% [[fat]], and 0.03% [[cholesterol]].

[[File:Frozen fish tofu.jpg|thumb|Chinese [[fish tofu]], made of ground fish]]

[[Fish paste]]s have been a popular food in [[East Asia]]. In China, the food is used to make [[fish ball]]s (魚蛋/魚丸) and ingredients in a thick soup known as ''[[Geng (dish)|geng]]'' (羹), common in [[Fujian cuisine]]. In [[Japan]], the earliest surimi production was in 1115 for making ''[[kamaboko]]''. [[Alaska pollock]], native to the seas around Japan, played an important role in the development of processed surimi due to its high protein biomass. [[Satsumaage]], [[chikuwa]], and [[hanpen]] were other major surimi foods prior to 1960.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Park|first=Jae W.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yWZmAQAAQBAJ&dq=surimi+and+surimi+seafood&pg=PA5|title=Surimi and Surimi Seafood|date=2013-11-12|publisher=CRC Press|isbn=978-1-4398-9857-4|edition=3|language=en}}</ref>{{Rp|4–5}}

After World War II, machines were used to process surimi, but it was always sold fresh, since freezing had a negative effect on the finished product by denaturing the gel-forming capability of the surimi. Between 1945 and 1950, record catches of pollock in Hokkaido (primarily for harvesting the [[roe]]) resulted in large quantities of fish meat, so the Hokkaido Fisheries Research Station established a team to make better use of the excess. A team, led by K. Nishiya, discovered the addition of salt during the processing prevented the spongy texture that resulted after freezing, and also began using salted surimi in the manufacture of fish sausages. In 1969, Nishitani Yōsuke further discovered that the use of [[sucrose]], or other carbohydrates, such as [[sorbitol]], acted as a cryoprotectant by stabilizing the [[actomyosin]] in the surimi without denaturing the fish protein the way salt does.<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|5–6}}

In [[North America]] and [[Europe]], ''surimi'' also alludes to fish-based products manufactured using this process. A generic term for fish-based ''surimi'' in Japanese is "fish-puréed products" (魚肉練り製品 ''gyoniku neri seihin'').

Surimi industrial technology developed by Japan in the early 1960s promoted the growth of the surimi industry. In 1963, the government of Hokkaido applied for a patent on the surimi processing technology, and companies, such as Nippon Suisan and Maruha-Nichiro, implemented at-sea frozen fish processing in the mid-1960s. After a peak of surimi consumption in 1975, consumption in Japan began to decline as the preference for other meats (beef, pork) went up, and lower quality products on the market influenced consumer opinion of surimi overall. Although the quality standards for fish in Japanese surimi products were quite high, the consumer perception of surimi generally attributes it to by-catch and lower quality fish.<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|6–7}}

===Fish ''surimi''===

This is an incomplete list of fish used to make ''surimi'':

When the [[Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act]] was enacted in 1976, the United States became involved in the surimi industry through joint ventures with Japanese fish processors. Imitation crab products were developed in Japan between 1973 and 1975, and although not as popular in Japan, opened the door to international surimi consumption. Further developments for using different types of fish were made since the 1980s. The first US surimi processing plant was built in 1984 on [[Kodiak Island]], and Canada in 1995, aided by Japanese technicians.<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|6–9}}

*[[Milkfish]] (''[http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?genusname=Chanos&speciesname=chanos Chanos chanos]'')

*[[Swordfish]] (''[http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?genusname=Xiphias&speciesname=gladius Xiphias gladius]'')

*[[Tilapia]]

**(''[http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?genusname=Oreochromis&speciesname=mossambicus Oreochromis mossambicus]'')

**(''[http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?genusname=Oreochromis&speciesname=niloticus%20niloticus Oreochromis niloticus niloticus]'')

*Big-head pennah croaker (''[http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?genusname=Pennahia&speciesname=macrocephalus Pennahia macrocephalus]'')

*Golden threadfin bream (''[http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?genusname=Nemipterus&speciesname=virgatus Nemipterus virgatus]'')

*Bigeyes (''[http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?genusname=Priacanthus&speciesname=arenatus Priacanthus arenatus]'')

*Pacific [[whiting (fish)|whiting]] (''[http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?genusname=Merluccius&speciesname=productus Merluccius productus]'')

*Alaska [[pollock]] (''[http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?genusname=Theragra&speciesname=chalcogramma Theragra chalcogramma]'')

*Various [[shark]] species

In the early 1990s and the late 2000s, the price of surimi skyrocketed. This affected many small Japanese kamaboko companies, causing many to go bankrupt due to cost of materials as well as the diminishing habit of eating kamaboko daily by younger generations.<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|8}} As the price rose, surimi industry sought methods to minimize waste.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Bose|first1=A. N.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K-08AAAAIAAJ&dq=Japanese+fish+sausage&pg=PA309|title=Coastal Aquaculture Engineering|last2=Ghosh|first2=S. N.|last3=Yang|first3=C. T.|last4=Mitra|first4=A.|date=1991-10-03|publisher=CUP Archive|isbn=978-0-521-41767-9|pages=309|language=en}}</ref> The [[Decanter centrifuge|decanter]] technique, developed in the mid-1990s, further improved the recovery of fish meat during the washing process.<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|6–9}}

===Meat ''surimi''===

Although less commonly seen in Japanese and Western markets, pork ''surimi'' is a common product found in a wide array of Chinese foods. The process of making pork ''surimi'' is similar to making fish surimi except that leaner cuts of meat are used and the rinsing process is omitted. Pork ''surimi'' is made into balls called "gòng wán"([[wiktionary:貢|貢]][[wiktionary:丸|丸]]) that, when cooked, have a texture similar to [[fish ball]]s but are much firmer and denser. Pork ''surimi'' is also mixed with flour and water to make a type of [[dumpling]] wrapper called "yèn pí" ([[wiktionary:燕|燕]][[wiktionary:皮|皮]] or [[wiktionary:肉|肉]][[wiktionary:燕|燕]][[wiktionary:皮|皮]]<!--need pinyin for second set of hanzi-->) that has the similar firm and bouncy texture of cooked ''surimi''.

== Use and labelling ==

Beef ''surimi'' can also be shaped into ball form to make "beef balls" ([[wiktionary:牛|牛]][[wiktionary:肉|肉]][[wiktionary:丸|丸]]). When beef ''surimi'' is mixed with chopped beef tendons and formed into balls, "beef tendon balls"( [[wiktionary:牛|牛]][[wiktionary:筋|筋]][[wiktionary:丸|丸]]) are produced. Both of these products are commonly used in Chinese [[hot pot]] as well as served in [[Vietnamese cuisine|Vietnamese]] "''[[phở]]''".

[[File:Horikawa kamaboko red 80g.jpg|thumb|Japanese [[kamaboko]] is made of surimi]]

Two to three million tons of fish from around the world, amounting to 2–3 percent of the world fisheries' supply, are used for the production of surimi and surimi-based products. The United States and Japan are major producers of surimi and surimi-based products. [[Thailand]] has become an important producer. China's role as producer is increasing. Many newcomers to the surimi industry have emerged, including [[Lithuania]], [[Vietnam]], [[Chile]], the [[Faroe Islands]], [[France]], and [[Malaysia]].<ref>"World Surimi Market", by Benoit Vidal-Giraud and Denis Chateau, Globefish Research Programme, Volume 89, April 2007</ref>

In the United Kingdom, due to tightening advertising/labeling regulations, the surimi product previously sold as crab sticks is now sold as seafood sticks (since it contains no crab), though the older term is still recognized by most older people, and the red coloring to imitate the appearance of crabs is still applied.

The ''surimi'' process is also used in the making of [[turkey (bird)|turkey]] products. It is employed in making products such as turkey burgers, turkey sausage, turkey [[pastrami]], turkey [[hot dog|franks]], turkey loafs and turkey salami.

==Chemistry==

== Uses and products ==

===Composition===

[[Image:Surimi.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Foods made from surimi: artificial shrimp and crab legs]]

According to the [[United States Department of Agriculture]] [[USDA National Nutrient Database|National Nutrient Database]], fish surimi contains about 76% water, 15% [[protein]], 6.85% [[carbohydrate]], and 0.9% [[fat]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/4591?fg=&man=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=&qlookup=surimi |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820022425/https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/4591?fg=&man=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=&qlookup=surimi |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 20, 2016 |title=Nutrient data for 15109, Fish, surimi |publisher=[[United States Department of Agriculture]] |work=[[USDA National Nutrient Database|National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference]] |date=9 October 2012 |series=Release 25 |access-date=5 May 2013}}</ref>

''Surimi'' is a useful ingredient for producing various kinds of processed [[food]]s. Furthermore, it allows a manufacturer to imitate the texture and taste of a more expensive product such as [[lobster]] tail using a relatively low-cost material. ''Surimi'' is also an inexpensive source of protein.

===Chemistry of curing===

In Asian cultures, ''surimi'' is eaten as a food product in its own right and is seldom used to imitate other foods. In [[Japan]] fish cakes ([[Kamaboko]]) and fish sausages, as well as other extruded fish products are commonly sold as cured ''surimi''. In [[Chinese cuisine]], fish ''surimi'', often called "fish paste," is used directly as stuffing or made into [[fish ball|ball]]s. In addition, balls made from lean beef ([[wiktionary:牛|牛]][[wiktionary:肉|肉]][[wiktionary:丸|丸]], lit. "beef ball") and pork ''surimi'' are often seen in Chinese cuisine. Fried, steamed, and boiled ''surimi'' products are also commonly found in [[Southeast Asia|Southeast Asian]] cuisine.

The [[Curing (chemistry)|curing]] of the fish paste is caused by the [[polymerization]] of [[myosin]] when heated. The species of fish is the most important factor that affects this curing process. Many [[pelagic fish]] with higher fat contents lack the needed type of heat-curing myosin and are not used for surimi.<ref>{{cite web|date=December 12, 2000 |title= Thermally-induced interactions in fish muscle proteins (Why does surimi form a gel?)|url=http://foodscience.engineering.dal.ca/surimi.html|url-status=dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20050321102746/http://foodscience.engineering.dal.ca/surimi.html|archive-date=March 21, 2005|access-date=2021-09-19}}</ref>

[[Borax]] was once widely used in Asian fish balls to make the texture bouncier and to preserve the water content.<!-- deleted unsourced claim about whitening --> It is now banned in multiple countries (including Taiwan), but clandestine use has continued (such as in 2008).<ref>{{cite journal| title= Boric Acid Levels in Fresh Noodles and Fish Ball | url= https://www.researchgate.net/publication/26527212| first1= Pang-Hung |last1= Yiu| first2= Jian |last2= See| first3= Amartalingam |last3= Rajan | first4= Choon-Fah J. |last4= Bong |date= February 2008| journal= American Journal of Agricultural and Biological Sciences |volume= 3 | number= 2| pages= 476–481| doi= 10.3844/ajabssp.2008.476.481| via= researchgate.net |access-date= November 21, 2023}}</ref> The legal replacement is [[polyphosphate]], which provides a similar effect without the toxicity of borax.<ref>{{citation|language=zh-tw|trans-title=Borax alternative makes for safer food|title=使用硼砂替代品吃得更安心|date=2008-09-04|publisher=彰化縣衛生局 (Changhua County Health Bureau) |url=http://www.chshb.gov.tw/news_detail.asp?news_type=3&sysno=3431|url-status=dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130729183344/http://www.chshb.gov.tw/news_detail.asp?news_type=3&sysno=3431|archive-date=2013-07-29}}</ref>

In the West, ''surimi'' products are usually imitation [[seafood]] products, such as [[crab]], [[abalone]], [[shrimp]] and [[scallop]]. However, several companies do produce ''surimi'' [[sausage]]s, [[Spam (food)|lunchmeats]], [[ham (meat)|ham]]s, and [[burger]]s. Some examples include: Salmolux [[salmon]] burgers, Seapack surimi ham, SeaPack ''surimi'' [[salami]], and Seapack ''surimi'' rolls. A [[patent]] was issued for the process of making even higher quality proteins from fish such as in the making of imitation [[steak]] from ''surimi''. Surimi is also used to manufacture kosher imitation shrimp and crabmeat, using only kosher fish such as pollock.

==Gallery==

===List of ''surimi'' foods===

<gallery mode="packed" widths="160px" heights="160px">

* [[Chikuwa]]

File:Narutomaki 001.jpg|''[[Narutomaki]]''

* [[Crab stick]]

File:Iwashidama, in Toyokawa, Aichi (2014.12.31).jpg|''Iwashidama'' ([[sardine]] surimi)

* [[Fish ball]]

File:Glasaal Surimi 02.jpg|Spanish ''gulas''

* [[Hanpen]]

File:Oita gyorokke.jpg|''[[Korokke]]'' made of fish surimi

* [[Yong tau foo]]

File:2016-02-06 Agekamaboko-揚げかまぼこ 大黒天物産 12個 100円 DSCF8724.JPG|''[[Satsuma-age]]''

* [[Kamaboko]]

File:Surimi salad1 (16714326780).jpg|Surimi salad and bread

* [[Tsukune]]

File:Jako-ten udon by woinary in Matsuyama, Ehime.jpg|[[Udon]] with ''[[jakoten]]'' slices

* [[Tsukune|Tsumire]]

File:Tikutikutikuwa (cropped).jpg|''[[Chikuwa]]'' made of surimi, on a ''[[shichirin]]'' grill

</gallery>

== HistorySee also ==

{{Portal|Food

The process for making ''surimi'' was developed in many areas of [[East Asia]] over 900 years ago. In [[Japan]], it is used in the making of ''[[kamaboko]]'', or cured ''surimi'' products. The industrialized ''surimi''-making process was developed in 1960 by Nishitani Yōsuke of Japan's [[Hokkaidō]] Fisheries Experiment Institute to process the increased catch of fish and to revitalize Japan's fish industry.

}}

* [[List of seafood dishes]]

* [[List of Japanese dishes]]

* [[Fisheries management]]

* [[Fish paste]]

* [[Fishcake]]s

* [[Fish ball]]s

==References==

==Chemistry of ''surimi'' curing ==

{{Reflist}}

The [[Curing (chemistry)|curing]] of the fish paste is caused by the [[polymerization]] of [[myosin]] when heated. The species of fish is the most important factor that affects this curing process. Many [[pelagic]] fish with higher fat contents lack that kind of heat-curing myosin, hence they are not suitable for making ''surimi''.

==External links==

Certain kinds of fish, such as the Pacific [[whiting (fish)|whiting]], cannot form firm ''surimi''. The ''surimi'' maker has to add egg white or [[potato]] starch into the fish paste to increase its strength. Before the outbreak of [[bovine spongiform encephalopathy]] (BSE), it was industrial practice to add [[bovine]] [[blood plasma]] into the fish paste to help its curing or [[gel]]-forming. Today some manufacturers may use a [[transglutaminase]] to improve its texture.

{{Commons category|Surimi}}

* [http://www.surimischool.org Surimiman's Surimi School Worldwide]

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040404123814/http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/Data/SR16-1/sr16-1.html USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Release 16-1]

{{seafood|state=expanded}}

==References==

{{Japanese food and drink}}

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[[Category:Surimi| ]]

== External links ==

[[Category:Fish products]]

* [http://www.surimischool.org Oregon State University Surimi Technology School]

[[Category:Imitation foods]]

* [http://crcpress.com/shopping_cart/products/product_detail.asp?sku=DK3071&parent_id=&pc Surimi and Surimi Seafood, Second Edition, published in March 2005]

* [http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/Data/SR16-1/sr16-1.html USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Release 16-1]

* [http://www.surimithailand.com/Nutrient.html Pacific Marine Food Products Co.,Ltd. Nutrition Fact of Surimi]

* [http://www.foodreference.com/html/fsurimi.html Food Reference Facts & Trivia: Surimi]

* [http://www.dal.ca/~foodsci/surimi.html Thermally-induced interactions in fish muscle proteins (Why does surimi form a gel?)]

* [http://www.fishexp.pref.hokkaido.jp/exp/kushiro/kakou/surimi.htm The Making of Surimi] (illustrated, in Japanese)

* [http://www.surimi.org/3hist.htm The Evolution of the Surimi-Making Process (1961/1970/current)] (in Japanese)

* [http://www.zenkama.com/zenkama/gijutsu.html A History of Surimi's Development] (in Japanese)

[[Category:Surimi|*]]

[[Category:Chinese cuisine]]

[[Category:Japanese cuisine]]

[[Category:Japanese seafood]]

[[Category:Food paste]]

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