I know what it is, and it's not crab. It's a fish paste made from unpopular fish and it's frozen, shaved, molded, slurried, ground, and mutilated to form something that resembles crab..sort of.The process is pretty gross and you can watch it HERE..be warned, it's disgusting. But, it didn't put me off the stuff. I admit it, I think it's tasty and mixed with some green pepper and onions and mayo and shoved on a cracker I was still happy munching it. I mean, gross process or not, it's still some kind of fish, right? Yeah. Then I found out that red outside part is made from cochineal. You know what that is? Bugs. Seriously. It is insects. And if you see the words cochineal, carmine or carminic acid on a food package..it is ground insects. It's a South American beetle and it is commonly used as a colorant in shampoos, cosmetics, candy, fruit juice, gelatin's and much more. Hmm. Yeah, I will be reading labels now. I can't believe I'm not more upset that I ate bugs, but, in the scheme of all things food, I've probably eaten worse. And so have you. At least I know now and I will no longer participate, thank you. I live in the Midwest, we don't have crab here, but, lately I've noticed frozen crab. I can pop for that once in awhile and avoid this Surimi product. Did you know it had bugs in it? Or am I just slow?
39 comments:
Eating crab and lobster is gross because they are sea arachnidian bottom dwelling..things. But, I still like 'em. But, flat out bugs? No way. You don't even want to know how they make hot dogs. I have to stop watching these food vids or I'll starve to death.
Well imagine how the bugs feel about being eaten.
I used to love bottom-feeders but am now veg and feel way better.
Wouldn't you rather eat bugs than synthetic dye??
Red Velvet cake has the same stuff in it and the reason I dont eat it...but when I see it I look for bug parts....Im seriously I do and if I see a black speck somewhere in it I begin thinking yepp that was part of the bugs leg.
Connie
Personally I don't find it offensive at all eating bugs. Since red dye #2 has been banned that is probably the food industry's only option for coloring most processed foods. Good reason to stay aay from all of them.
escrow
fake crab meat gives me a severe allergic reaction---like throat closing....
and that red shit is NASTY....there have been studies done that show that that die made from the dead bugs is co-related to many cases of ADD....kids are fed so much shit with that in it, it hypes them up....
I wish I hadn't read this. I am allergic to shellfish so can't eat the real stuff.
I live on the Texas gulf coast and there is shrimp and crab everywhere you look and I can't eat it.
When I tell people I'm allergic they look at me like something is wrong with me.
I hear bugs can be good for you. If you are out in the wilderness you can live on bugs, they are suppose to be full of protein.
I hope I am never stuck out in the wilderness cause I will starve to death.
Have you ever watched Andrew Zimmeren on the Tralvel Chanel? He eats bugs all the time.
escrow
I found out about this a few months ago and I was so upset too because I love fake crab meat. I wish they would come up with a better food dye because most of it is from bugs (the shell gives off that red tint) and it does make children hyper. I look for those words when shopping now too.
DD,
Concerning hot dogs, why not try Hebrew's Choice? Since they're kosher I assume they cannot be made with the same disgusting stuff regular hot dogs are made of. Plus, they really do taste better.
Wow. That is disgusting. I look at labels, but had no idea what cochineal was. I thought it was some sort of organic compound, but never thought bugs. Gross. Think I'm done with that stuff, too.
Just goes to show that even if you look at labels, you don't get the full story.
Christina
I stopped eating regular hot dogs because what is in it and the process they use to make it. I just tried Turkey dogs because they are supposed to be better for you. I do not eat fast food cuz of all the preservatives in it. A McDonalds hamburger or french fries will not decompose for years. A McDees burger will still be a McDees burger after 5 years. If you don't believe me do the experiment yourself.
I way rather eat chemicals than insects. Are you kidding me? I hate bugs. It makes me puke.
McDonalds is disgusting.
And exactly why does the FDA allow this? And why don't they have to lable it? That's fuuuuuucked up.
DD
Have you ever been to Joe Tesh's For Fish in Omaha? They serve carp, another bottom feeder. But man oh man I used to love that place.
escrow
Shrimps are the cocaroaches of the sea.
I eat fish and chicken but stay away from
seafood all those poop filters are what the bottom
dweller are really if u eat them u are eating shit !
Ugggggggh ! I know and it's not meant for human
consumption at all really why do u think that
they are the reason for anaphase based allergies.
To the poster who wrote that her throat became itchy
please do not eat any shellfish food product s
u are allergic so be careful and carry an epi pen
just in case. Be extremely careful at resteraunts and
& buffets potluck type meals. In Canada wehave
food safe dyes made from vegtables _beets red
and pomegranate fruit dyes also safe and
bug free. The govt doesn't allow fake seafood !
I can't stress again how if at all possible buy
your food fresh if u can and go home cook it
thexsame day and eat your vitamins in your food.
The chemicals in the pills outweigh the benefits of
supplements all except for vit D it's the only
one humans need everyday aprox 1000-1400 icu / day.
Yes the bug red dye is gross and I knew DD but
I'd have to go across the border to get it. Not
that i would want to. There are several chems
that the FDA allows in the USA but Canada won't sell
the product here cuzof the heLrh hazards
like the phenols & aspartame / in sacchrine
in sweet & low pink sugar packets being
highly carcinogenic. I'm glad the govt is so
strict in this case. Health is wealth IMO. Kiki :)
I thought it was a bag of red and white balloons before I read what you had wrote...they say bugs are a delicacy in some countries, I really have never seen this stuff until now....as long as it tastes good, go for it..I am sure there are a lot of things we eat that if we knew what was in it...we would freak out.
There's no need to color it like crab! Why not just leave that part out? It's gonna taste the same.
Kiki
I can't tell you how many times I have gotten sick from cross contamination of food.
I don't eat anywhere that shell fish is seved anymore.
It really limits where I can eat.
Well crap. Now I've gotta check my pantry. Glad I haven't gotten around to making that red velvet cake I bought a couple of weeks ago.
When I was a kid, I found bugs in a bag of rice so now I store dry goods (flour, rice, cornmeal, etc.) in the fridge. You should look that up next...blech.
if you've ever eaten chocolate, then you've eaten bugs. there's no way to get all the body parts out of all the chocolate. i still eat the hell out of chocolate even after finding this out.
There are insect parts in lots of foods. Ketchup is one of them.
I personally am way more grossed out by contamination from humans than the idea of eating bugs. I like some fast food, but when I eat it I always feel kinda gross thinking about who touched it before it got to me.
I find the thought of eating any flesh to be somewhat off-putting, so I have been a veg most of my life. It is easy for me to reason that if you eat the flesh of one animal, why wouldn't you eat any animal or bug, etc? What's the difference really?
Kiki - you know how to spot a Canadian in the grocery store in the US? Their buggies are filled with Cereal, Wine, Potato Crisps and Diet Sodas. All products with substances not allowed for sale in Canada! :)
why don't you just give up and eat vegan instead? not all the time, obviously, rack of lamb or veal is good, yeah? but there are such good vegan substitutes, seriously!!! look into it.
Lacquer and shellac were both derived from this insect, about the size of a grain of rice.
Let's all shudder for an instant.
I watched the video and the best thing I would say is that it looked hygenic, mostly. This isn't a product I have ever bought and won't, but I am sure I have eaten it and I am not that bothered about it.
Down here in La. we eat just about anything. Let's face it, crawfish or mud bugs as some people call them, really are not an appetizing
thought. But they really are good!!! We even have T-Shirts they say "Suck the heads and eat the tails". Also, alligator meat is better than you would think. I guess it's a cultural thing. We really don't think about it.
I was curious---
after reading all the comments from yesterday, I was wondering what was the largest number of comments you've ever gotten on a subject? And if you can remember, what was the subject?
Bayou Jane;
I am a "Coonass", and live very close to you. Me, I don't suck dem heads, but I sho nuff eat dem tails, Sha!
Hell, we live in Iowa and I've heard my husband say suck them heads and eat them tails.... and he sure isn't talking about crawfish!
Escrow, I love me some deep fried carp. Joe Tess's place rocks. I should have known you knew about it!
Bayou Jane,
I am going to answer for DD regarding the most comments. It was regarding China and how she did not like them. I think when it was all said and done, there were over 200 comments. It was crazy!! That was last year I think.
~Palmetto Girl
Lia, I am very close to being a vegetarian. I do like fish though. Don't know a lot about Vegan, 'cept from you.
Palmetto Girl, I think you're right. The I hate China post was popular..unfortunatly there were people who thought I hated Chinese people, which I thought was kinna dumb. LOL!
Bayou, I've had alligator meat. I've also tried Antelope (really good), Rattle Snake, Buffalo, Mountain Oysters. I've never had Craw Fish. Just never been around them, though I've seen the rare one in the river here. I'd try anything once, uless it's a fucking bug. No way.
Personally, I've eaten this product before and even knowing where the red colouring comes from now will not discourage me from eating it because...I ate it before and didn't notice anything ugly about it.
As Pat mentioned in her first post, crab and lobster are bottom feeding "arachnidian" sea bugs and I love the hell out of them with some garlic butter and...*drools*
I've tried all sorts of game meats things like bear, moose, jack rabbit, deer, alligator and I like to try new things before I decide if I don't like them.
Perhaps if I hadn't tried that seafood product and learned of the bug connection I might not try it at all. Too late for that. As well, I'm thinking that perhaps the Canadian version of it doesn't have the bug-red colouring as Kiki mentioned. So maybe I lucked out in the end.
I do have a problem with the outright eating of bugs in that the sight of it makes me sickened. I can't even watch Fear Factor when they're eating disgusting crap like goblets of worms, I will actually vomit. But if I happen to have accidentally ingested a leg or wing part here or there it doesn't overwhelm me with nausea. What's done is done and bugs don't bother me like they do Pat.
Diapers and vomit however are another story for me. I only got through it by realizing the baby(s) would be so much more clean and comfortable and healthy in a clean diaper. I chanted it like a mantra the whole way through the procedure. So glad to be done with it.
Bayou Jane
I can't eat shellfish but thank goodness i can eat crawfish.
We have a big boil every mother's day.
My best friends are from Slidell and her husband does a big boil for us every mothers day.
I don't suck dem heads either but I know some who do
I think that post when everyone thought DD was dead cause she didn't post for four days was as big as the China shitstorm.
Surimi is ok. I don't buy packs of it, and normally don't choose any sushi roll with it unless there's no other choice and I REALLY want sushi rolls. I love shrimp. And lobster is technically a bug, just a delicious one. I hate HATE crawfish, I think they're nasty, yuck. I love LOOOVE oysters. mmmmm sea filters. I do like alligator meat too.
Have you seen that show on the Food Network where they show all kinds of sweets and chocolate? They featured a store that has chocolate covered crickets, candy apple covered with worms, scorpion lollipops, etc. Pretty gross. http://bit.ly/qCPa7
Crabbie, you mean that time you wrote me to retire?
Meissa, I know it's a bug. It's arachnidian and I have no idea why it doesn't gross me out. I love me some sushi too, but, I am not eating beetles. That's just a high class cockroach.
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