Photo/Illutration Red “kanikama” (imitation crab meat), left, alongside other “kamaboko” fish paste products (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

I have heard that dishes using “kanikama” (imitation crab meat) are frequently searched for on a popular recipe site.

The fish-based product is shaped, colored and flavored like crab meat, and it goes with everything from fried egg dishes to Chinese soups and al ajillo garlic-flavored dishes.

It is also a big help for me, a fan of “nerimono” fish paste products.

I recently visited Sugiyo Co., a seafood processing company based in Nanao, Ishikawa Prefecture, to get updated on the kanikama business.

“We were the first to start selling this type of product and next year will mark our 50th anniversary,” said Yumi Mizukoshi, 36, who is in charge of public relations. “We have been surprised by strong demand among people staying home amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.”

The product was born when the company was trying to artificially create “kurage,” dehydrated and pickled jellyfish used as an ingredient for Chinese dishes.

The texture of one prototype was almost identical to that of crab meat, and the company introduced its first product to the market in 1972 after making a series of improvements.

It was initially criticized as “fake” and “phony,” but eventually proved to be a great hit.

According to estimates by Nihon Kamaboko Kyokai (Japan kamaboko association), the United States, France and China all rival Japan in consumption of kanikama products.

In France, the product is known as “surimi” (fish paste) and is often used in salads and sandwiches. Demand is rising worldwide, partly due to the growing popularity of Japanese cuisine.

But manufacturers have been hit by a spike in prices for the minced meat of Alaskan pollock, the main ingredient. Catches of the fish off North America, its principal source, declined as the pandemic reduced fishing boat operations. Higher crude oil prices have delivered an additional blow.

Last week, the kamaboko association issued a statement asking consumers to accept higher prices for kanikama and other fish paste products, calling the current situation an “unprecedented predicament.”

Come to think of it, kanikama is a very unusual food product. Everyone knows it is not real crab meat, but no one complains about that anymore.

It was born out of efforts to develop an equivalent to kurage and was marketed as a substitute for crab. Despite its humble origin, kanikama has built up an international following over the past half-century.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Nov. 14

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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