Surimi

Surimi is a paste made by mincing and washing fish flesh into a smooth, elastic mass, a Japanese technique whose name literally means ground meat. Alaska pollock has historically been the dominant source fish because of its abundance and high protein biomass, though many other white fish are now used depending on regional supply. The paste is molded and flavored to mimic the texture and appearance of lobster, crab, eel or other shellfish, most famously as imitation crab sticks, and forms the base of traditional Japanese foods such as kamaboko, chikuwa and satsuma-age. Roughly two to three million tons of fish are processed into surimi worldwide each year, about two to three percent of the global fisheries catch.