Types of Fish Used in Surimi Production

Surimi – the processed fish paste behind imitation crab sticks, fish balls, and kamaboko – begins with one critical decision: which fish to use. Not all fish are equal in this context. The raw material choice directly determines the texture, color, and quality of the final product. Surimi processing technology was formally established in the 1960s, and since then, producers around the world have worked to identify which species deliver the best results. Technically, almost any finfish can be turned into surimi – but in practice, the industry has settled on a shortlist of species that consistently meet the quality bar.

What makes a fish suitable for surimi? 🔗

Three core characteristics determine whether a fish species is well-suited for surimi production: meat color, fat content, and gel-forming ability. Each one has a direct impact on product quality and processing efficiency.

Meat color 🔗

Consumers associate white or light-colored surimi products with quality and freshness. Fish with naturally pale flesh require minimal processing to achieve the clean white appearance the market expects. Dark-fleshed fish contain higher levels of myoglobin, which creates reddish-brown pigmentation. While these fish can still be processed into surimi, they demand extra washing cycles and sometimes additional treatments to lighten the color – increasing both cost and processing time. Premium surimi is characteristically white, while lower-grade surimi tends toward a grey or brown tint, which affects market value.

Fat content 🔗

High fat levels interfere with surimi’s gel structure and accelerate oxidative rancidity during frozen storage. Surimi is traditionally made from lean white fish species precisely because lower fat content leads to a more stable, longer-lasting product. Fatty fish species like sardines and horse mackerel have been explored for surimi use, but they require additional processing steps to manage oxidation and achieve acceptable quality.

Gel-forming ability 🔗

This is arguably the most important quality criterion. Surimi’s defining characteristic – its springy, elastic texture – comes from the fish’s myofibrillar proteins, particularly myosin, forming a structured three-dimensional gel network when heated. According to NOAA Fisheries, superior gel-forming properties are one of the key reasons Alaska pollock is considered the benchmark species for the surimi industry. Fish with poor gel-forming ability produce mushy, crumbly products that fail to hold their shape during cooking.

Marine fish species commonly used in surimi production 🔗

Alaska pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus) 🔗

Alaska pollock is the undisputed global leader in surimi production. It is considered the best surimi fish due to its white color, superior meat quality, and gel-forming properties. Its fat content is extremely low – under 1% – and its myofibrillar protein content supports outstanding elasticity in the finished gel. Pollock has been used for surimi since the mid-1960s and has remained the top-selling species in the industry ever since, particularly in Japan, where it is used to make traditional products like chikuwa. The Alaska pollock fishery in the North Pacific is carefully managed, providing a consistent and relatively sustainable supply of raw material. The United States is currently the world’s second-largest surimi producer, behind China, with Alaska pollock as the primary species driving domestic production.

Pink perch / threadfin bream (Nemipterus spp.) 🔗

In India and throughout South and Southeast Asia, threadfin bream – widely known as Pink Perch in the Indian market – is one of the most commercially significant surimi raw materials. Threadfin breams, belonging to the family Nemipteridae, are primarily harvested using bottom trawls along the southwest coast of India and are extensively used in surimi manufacturing. This species is preferred in Southeast Asia over Alaska pollock because it is easier to process, produces high-quality surimi with strong gel, and has a smooth white color that is ideal for finished products. Tropical surimi production grew from 329,000 tons in 2005 to 536,000 tons in 2018, with threadfin bream accounting for the largest share of that growth. One challenge with this species is the “modori” phenomenon – a heat-induced gel weakening caused by endogenous proteinases – which processors manage through additives and controlled heating conditions.

Croaker (Sciaenidae family) 🔗

Croaker species have long been valued for surimi production, particularly across Asian markets. The jewfish croaker (kiguchi) is specifically chosen for Japan’s traditional kamaboko industry because it produces white, high-gel surimi. Other croaker species – including black-mouth croaker, white croaker, and yellow croaker – are common in subtropical fisheries in Japan, China, and Taiwan. The main limitation with croaker is cost: they tend to be relatively expensive compared to pollock or threadfin bream, so processors typically use smaller fish to keep raw material costs manageable.

Big eye snapper (Priacanthus spp.) 🔗

Big eye snapper represents the premium end of the surimi fish spectrum. Two distinct grades are found in Southeast Asia: larger fish (100-200 g) with a red color that yields white meat and high gel strength, and smaller fish (30-70 g) with a grayish color, darker meat, and lower gel performance. The larger-grade big eye snapper commands premium pricing in markets that prioritize top-tier gel quality and a near-translucent white color. Among tropical species, threadfin bream, big eye snapper, lizardfish, and goatfish together account for more than 90% of all raw materials used in tropical surimi production.

Other notable marine species 🔗

Beyond the core four, several other marine species contribute meaningfully to global surimi supply. Lizardfish (Eso in Japanese) is considered a high-grade raw material, valued for its high meat yield, white color, and firm gel-forming ability. In Thailand, it is commonly blended with threadfin bream for crab sticks and fish balls. Pacific whiting is another important cold-water species, though its quality is variable depending on the harvest season and region. As production has expanded beyond the northern Pacific, surimi is increasingly sourced from tropical demersal species including snappers, groupers, and lizardfish.

Freshwater fish in surimi production 🔗

Freshwater species are a growing part of the surimi industry, especially as marine fish stocks face pressure from overfishing. Asian carp – including grass carp, silver carp, bighead carp, and black carp – have been widely used for surimi production in China, where they are farmed at massive scale. In 2018, global production of Asian carp exceeded 18.5 million tons, making them an abundant and cost-effective raw material. Silver carp was the first aquaculture species used for commercial surimi production in China, with output reaching 70,000 metric tons in 2019.

However, freshwater fish come with specific processing challenges. Research comparing gel properties shows that Asian carp species have lower gel-forming ability than Alaska pollock, and they typically require higher processing temperatures and longer heating durations to achieve acceptable gel structure. Their flesh can also carry off-flavors that need to be addressed through additional washing cycles. Tilapia and certain catfish varieties are also being explored for surimi use in Vietnam and other aquaculture-intensive countries. The key requirement remains the same regardless of species: white or light-colored meat, low fat content, and adequate gel-forming capacity.

How species selection varies by region 🔗

The surimi industry is not uniform globally – raw material choices are shaped by local fishery availability, production costs, and target market preferences. Cold-water surimi from pollock and Pacific whiting is produced primarily in the United States, Japan, China, and parts of South America. Tropical surimi production is concentrated in Southeast Asian countries, India, Pakistan, and China, where demersal trawl fisheries supply the raw material. Freshwater surimi from carp and catfish is largely a Chinese and Vietnamese phenomenon, driven by the scale of aquaculture operations in those countries.

It is also worth noting that species substitution and mislabeling are documented problems in the surimi trade. Studies have found that a significant proportion of products claiming to contain Alaska pollock were actually made from other species, pointing to ongoing challenges around traceability and quality assurance in the global supply chain.

Quality criteria are non-negotiable 🔗

Whether the source is a cold-water fishery off Alaska, a tropical trawl in the Bay of Bengal, or a freshwater farm in China, the core quality criteria for surimi fish do not change. White or light-colored flesh, low fat content, and strong gel-forming myofibrillar proteins are the baseline requirements. Species that meet these criteria – regardless of whether they are marine or freshwater, wild-caught or farmed – can be used to produce quality surimi. This flexibility is what allows the industry to adapt to shifting fish stocks and regional resource availability while still delivering consistent products to the end consumer.

What do you think? As wild marine fish stocks face mounting pressure from overfishing, do you think freshwater farmed species like silver carp can realistically replace traditional surimi fish like Alaska pollock in terms of quality and consumer acceptance? And given the documented mislabeling issues in the surimi trade, how important is species traceability for building consumer trust in surimi-based products?

References

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surimi
2. https://sinarmutiaraabadi.co/blog/surimi-fish
3. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/surimi
4. https://alaskaseagrant.org/2018/04/new-technology-could-boost-surimi-profits-and-cut-waste/
5. https://goodfish.org.au/resource/what-is-surimi/
6. https://www.sciencedirect.com/article/abs/pii/S2352485524000513
7. https://sinarmutiaraabadi.co/blog/tropical-fish-surimi-industry
8. https://www.sciencedirect.com/article/abs/pii/S0308814624020739
9. https://certificationandratings.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Surimi-Landscape-Report-Final-2.pdf
10. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9101759/
11. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/227678092