Kamaboko, Surimi, and Kani-kama – What are they? Differences?

Have you heard of the names Kamaboko, Surimi, and Kani-kama? These are different Japanese names used to refer to a popular pressed fish meat in Japan that has also been exported to the West. Today we will see what they are and what their differences are.

Surimi – Pressed Fish Paste

Surimi [すり身] is a food made from the meat or paste of white fish. It can be found in stick, cube, stick, medallion, crumb, shred forms, and is usually cut in two colors, white with pink or reddish.

The production of surimi begins with the transformation of the fish into the base paste, and then the shaping of this base into the final product. Monosodium glutamate, salt, flavorings, coloring, starch, egg white, oil, and other ingredients can be included.

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This paste is usually shaped into thin layers, which are rolled, dyed with red dye, vacuum packed, cooked in the packaging, and cut inside the plastic into sticks, then frozen (in the case of kani kama).

Surimi x Kamaboko – What is the difference? Both are the same, the difference is that the Japanese word surimi can also refer only to the fish paste and not to the fish cake in strips or another specific shape as in the case of kamaboko.

Surimi should not be confused with tsumire [摘入] which are fish balls, but without the addition of eggs or other ingredients. See below a slideshow presenting all the details about surimi and its production:

Kani-Kama – The Imitation Crab

My father always brought this so-called kani-kama home, I always ate it thinking it was crab meat, but in childhood, I never realized it was just pressed meat and sometimes only flavored with crab extract.

The word kani literally means crab and gave rise to the name of the product. In the 60s and 70s, the scarcity of crab meat led Japanese cooks to invent kani-kamaboko, which quickly became popular worldwide.

In fact, the purpose of surimi is to mimic the flavor and texture of fish such as crab, crab, and lobster. In Brazil, it is easy to find this Kani in large markets alongside cold cuts. It is also a common ingredient in Brazilian sushis.

Kani kama is a protein-rich food, not as much as fish. It can be eaten raw, in salads, accompanied by soy sauce, or eaten after being boiled for some time, seasoned with lemon.

Kamaboko – The History of Surimi

The kamaboko [蒲鉾] is a type of traditional surimi that is still quite popular in Japan today. It is believed that kamaboko originated in the 17th century, made by the wives of fishermen and their families. Literature from the Heian era already speaks of surimi.

The preparation consisted of washing the fish meat in fresh water, salting it to prolong its shelf life, and thus being able to keep a stock of protein food outside of the fishing seasons.

The traditional hand-made kamaboko is shaped like bread and then steamed until it acquires a firm consistency. The pink and white colors of kamaboko usually indicate good luck.

As already mentioned, it can be found in variations such as Kani-kama, or even with artistic touches like Narutomaki with pink spirals or even with cheese flavor in the case of Chi-kama. In South Korea, its variation is called eomuk or odeng.

This food is quite common in New Year festivities like Oshougatsu. It can also be bought in convenience stores already packaged. Because it is made with fish paste, it is possible to create artistic designs like in the video below.

We recommend reading: Oshougatsu – New Year in Japan

The Japanese Kamaboko Organization declared in 1983 that: November 15 is “Kamaboko Day.”

Recipe for Kamaboko, Surimi, and Kani-Kama

Want to learn how to make your own Kamaboko? Why not take a look at the recipe below?

Ingredients

• 300 grams of white fish;
• 1 egg white;
• Salt and Ajinomoto;

Remove the skin and bones from the white fish and chop into small pieces. Soak in cold water and mix to remove any foam. Repeat twice.

Wrap the fish in muslin or cloth and drain the excess water. Grind everything in a food processor, you can use a mortar, do this repeatedly. Leave at room temperature for 1 hour. Check if it dried, you can use a dryer.

Steam in boiling water for 20 minutes over medium heat. When steamed, transfer to cold water and let cool. It won’t be perfect like industrialized surimi, but it can be tasty.

I hope you enjoyed the article, if you liked it, share and leave your comments. Thank you and see you next time!