9 Imitation Crab Brands, Ranked

The idea of eating "imitation" anything might throw some people off initially because, well, what is actually going on here? What exactly is imitation crab, anyway? Don't worry — there's real seafood in there.

Imitation crab is a less-expensive crab alternative also known as surimi. And what is surimi, you ask? Why, it's a paste made up of various types of fish that gets shaped into what looks like crab meat. Surimi is usually made from Alaska pollock, though whiting and other types of fish are also sometimes added in. Imitation crab is certainly not bad for you, though it may be problematic in sushi for those with food allergies. But it is very processed and contains fewer nutrients than actual crab. It's also generally going to contain more carbohydrates and less fat than real crab. And while it does contain some protein, it's nowhere near the amount you'll get from eating the real deal.

But which imitation crab brand reigns supreme when ranked against each other? It turns out a lot of imitation crab brands are sort of tasteless, but not entirely. However, I was about to find out that "tasteless" isn't necessarily a bad thing when it comes to imitation crab. In fact, sometimes it's preferred. The following brands have been ranked by taste, texture, and overall edibility. Here are nine imitation crab brands, ranked worst to best.

Imitation crab itself isn't a faux food to avoid, but this brand certainly is. Coming in last place in this ranking is Louis Kemp Crab Delights Imitation Crab, which seems harmless at first glance. It's one of the cheapest and most ubiquitous brands, available at many grocery stores. I grabbed it from Walmart and, well, all I can say is ... yikes. This imitation crab was extremely disconcerting from the very first bite. It's overly fishy -– like, it's really trying to convince you that it's crab (we know you're lying, sir). It tastes very fake, though, and it also has an offensive lingering aftertaste that is sour and sort of punches you in the mouth (then sticks around forever — rude).

After careful consideration, I decided that Louis Kemp's imitation crab tasted like the store. I bought it from Walmart, and it tasted like Walmart — not sushi sold at Walmart, but the actual store itself. And no one should eat a store. That's not food. I appreciate how hard you're trying to taste like crab, Louis Kemp Crab Delights, but perhaps stop trying because, unfortunately, you taste like a literal grocery store. I had to chomp on some ginger to get my mouth back to neutral. I was very, very upset after eating this imitation crab. I even questioned my life choices.

Well, here comes another Walmart special. I was very apprehensive about Aquamar Surimi's imitation crab after what I had gone through with Louis Kemp, but nevertheless I marched on. The first thing I noted was that this brand really wanted me to know that it was not made with imitated meat and that real fish was used. However, this made me trust it less because ... all imitation crab meat is actually like that. What was Aquamar Surimi trying to pull here?

As it turned out, this imitation crab brand was nowhere near as bad as the last one (despite it trying to gaslight me with its packaging, of course). It had a much more neutral flavor, but it was weirdly chewy ... too chewy. It also sort of melted in my mouth, which was very weird, but I got over it because the taste wasn't bad. Look, what I'm saying is that this is edible, albeit too squishy and chewy for comfort. It didn't taste like fish at all. It really didn't taste like anything, but at least I wasn't eating something that tasted like a grocery store.

Waterfront Bistro is a pretty common brand of imitation crab that can be found in both the freezer and refrigerated seafood sections of Von's, Albertson's, and other major grocery stores. I liked the idea of frozen imitation crab better, so I went with my gut and got that one.

Perhaps I chose wrong or, more likely, this is just how imitation crab situations go sometimes, but it was not a pleasant experience. First of all, unlike the others, this imitation crab came with instructions. I was directed to thaw it by refrigeration, but not over-thaw it (no further instructions other than this). Then, the bag also gave me instructions on how to eat it: Hold it on both ends, jiggle, twist, and pull. This made no sense because the whole thing was floppy and had the exact same texture as the other brands (soft, nothing to twist, pull, or jiggle). It tasted truly like nothing — nothing at all. Frankly this was a step up from the first two brands, but by this point I was so over this brand — all that work, and it didn't even taste like anything? No thank you.

On the outside, Welpac Imitation Crab Meat looks as generic as can be. It can be found in the freezer section of H-Mart. The first thing I noticed that made it stick out from the other brands was how hard it was to tear. The meat on all of the other brands flaked off pretty easily with minimal to no effort, but this one was more rubbery and tough. This was not a good start. As for taste, it was a little fishy, but not in an overly offensive way like the other brands.

As I continued to eat it, though, I realized something peculiar: The consistency of the flavor was all over the place. Some bites were quite tasty (despite the fishiness), while others were extremely tangy and unpleasant. I also noticed my stomach was starting to feel a little weird as I continued to eat it, but there's a chance I had eaten more imitation crab than one human should in a single day. It was a confusing experience all around, though it did taste better than previous brands (most of the time).

There's not much going on with Trans-Ocean Crab Classic Imitation Crab, and that's a good thing. It's a little sweet but not overly salty or fishy ... in fact, it didn't really have much flavor at all. That's not really a bad thing — you could always add garlic butter to imitation crab to make it taste more like real crab. On its own, however, this brand was a little bland and truly middle-of-the-road across the board. I appreciated that it wasn't aggressive in taste, but if I were to blindly taste test it, I would definitely say, "ambiguous seafood."

There was one odd thing about this brand of imitation crab, however. It had a very interesting (and sort of confusing) aftertaste that I can best describe as "warm." It literally tasted warm. I'm not sure whether my mouth was having some sort of odd reaction to eating so much imitation crab or whether I was actually tasting temperature, somehow. I checked the label — it wasn't expired. The warmth wasn't bad, but it was confusing. For this reason, it was not ranked higher. I was concerned.

Great American Seafood branded imitation crab flakes were certainly true to their namesake: The packaging made it look like the faux crab itself was wrapped in an American flag. It's sold in the refrigerated seafood section of Albertson's (and other stores like it) and comes in a totally massive bag. Seriously, buying this brand of imitation crab is a commitment — hope you're serving imitation crab to a family of 12 or something.

Despite all of this, however, the imitation crab itself was quite pleasant upon first bite. It tasted like it would be found in a nice California roll from an Albertson's (which actually has good grocery store sushi that's safe to eat, by the way — I never miss a Friday $5 special). There's nothing particularly special about this brand, but by now I realized that was a good thing when it came to imitation crab. It was generic, basic, and edible, without any weird aftertaste or try-hard fish flavoring. And sometimes, that's all you need.

Sajo Premium Crabia is another frozen item from the H-Mart freezer section. It's sold in a more compact package, with only five crab sticks, which is appreciated — you don't have to commit to buying too much imitation crab at once. As it turns out, this imitation crab brand has a pretty good flavor to it. The taste is neutral, non-fishy, and slightly sweet.

The one complaint I had about this imitation crab was that, after thawing it in the fridge as directed, it was very soggy. None of the other frozen brands were this soggy after thawing in the fridge. I wrapped it in a paper towel to wring out the moisture, though, and we were back in business — it was good again. Compared to the issues with many of the other brands on this list, having to remove excess moisture from imitation crab that actually tasted good was not a big deal.

Fresh Fresh Imitation Crab Meat Sticks are another frozen option from H-Mart. Unlike any of the other brands, this one involved a little more prep work: You had to cook the imitation crab (while still in the package) in boiling water for five minutes, followed by cooling it in a bowl of cold water. This was a little odd, but not too much extra effort.

Honestly, I was straight up stunned when I first tasted these sticks — they were flavorful and not fishy at all. They tasted like I was eating a good crab cake. The texture was perfectly flaky. It was soft without being smushy. I could eat this brand of imitation crab on its own without feeling gross, and this is huge. It gets the runner-up spot in this ranking not due to being less flavorful or not as "good" as the No. 1 brand, but only because of that extra step in preparation.

Well, here we have it, folks: the No. 1 brand of imitation crab, straight from the freezer aisle at H-Mart. Kani Kamaboko Premium Gold branded imitation crab tastes downright wonderful. It's just fishy enough, without being overwhelming. It doesn't have an aftertaste, and, frankly, it actually tastes like quality crab meat. It's fresh and refreshing to eat on its own. The texture is spot on, as it's tough (without being rubbery) and perfectly flaky. And there was no preparation necessary, other than thawing it in the fridge for a few hours.

I liked this brand so much that I added it to my lunch. Imitation crab meat isn't meant to be eaten like string cheese, but this is the only one that I could probably eat by itself without feeling sick. And for imitation crab, that says a lot. It tastes like it belongs in a California roll at a nice sushi restaurant. I'd buy it again.

These specific imitation crab meat brands were chosen for this ranking because they were all available at grocery stores near me. They were ranked based on taste, texture, and general edibility on their own, rather than mixed with anything (the actual way you should eat imitation crab). Preparation was also taken into consideration, when applicable. And, of course, my own taste buds have a lot to do with how these brands were ranked.