How can I tell the difference between imitation crab meat and the real stuff?

Question

I hope this authentic Vietnamese restaurant uses real crab meat and not the "crab-flavored white fish" crab meat...

Answer 1

I seen an show like "MarketPlace"  do a blindfold test among 12 food connoisseurs.   Could they tell the difference.   They all could.   (I can too.  The consistency gives it away.   Real crab meat is  stringier.   Fish is not stringy.)  

     However, when asked,Which one do you prefer....they all preferred the imitation crab flavour because it had more flavour.

     They  then did the test amongst JOE public.    Some could, some could not.  preferences still went to the imitation stuff.

  I must say, it is not bad.     But mine are cheaper as I catch me own off the west coast.

Ask them before you even sit down.

Crabs scavenge the ocean floor bottom for their food, eating dead rotting fish corpses and the like.  Who knows what they died of.  So the build up in heavy metals(lead, mercury) and toxins (DDT,2-4D, -you name it)ends up in the end of the ocean food chain which is the crab(until it hits your plate ready to be absorbed into the final host) >that is unless you are a Christian, and this is your last meal before you get fed to the lions<

Using whitefish would be a way of avoiding some of that poisonous build up.

Answer 2

Ask them. Visually real crab meat is different than imitation crab. Imitation crab is usually colored red and real crab meat will probably not be red. It will be flaky, almost like tuna, whereas imitation crab is spongy and rubbery. Real crab meat also tastes saltier, with hints of seaweed. You can tell it came out of the ocean. Imitation crab is usually quite sweet.

Answer 3

Just ask the people at the meat counter they will tell you what you need to know about your question.

Answer 4

the real one feels more meaty and of course smells more like fresh sea food.the "red" or coral color is not too dark.

the imitation looks a but like celery like with very marks rows of string...it definitely rubbery.the natural is lets say flaky

Answer 5

Real crab isn't formed from rolled fish and will be uneven "chunks", and not stringy like the imitation stuff.

Ask the restaurant if you're unsure.  It would be illegal for them to say it's the real thing it's the fake stuff.

Answer 6

Ask them.  Most places use the imitation now and it's a rip-off.