The Worst Store-Bought Crab Dip Hardly Tastes Like Seafood At All - Tasting Table

"There are plenty of warning signs from the start - it's labeled as a "Krab Salad" (though Kroger lists it as a dip on their website), plus, it's not actually made from crab meat but " imitation crab" according to the packaging. This, as it turns out, is a very common thing in store-bought crab dips. To save on cost, they make the "crab" from a combination of fish and other ingredients instead."

"The imitation crab meat itself isn't the main issue here; that would be the complete lack of flavor. If you go in expecting a seafood-forward flavor (which most of us naturally do), you'll be disappointed. The salad tastes like generic fish blended with an overly-sweet dressing that overwhelms what little jalapeño and paprika are within. Seriously, we had to check the labeling to make sure there's any spice in the dip at all. So despite the name, there's nothing kickin' about it."

Taste-testing of nine store-bought crab dips identified Kroger's Kickin' Krab Salad as the worst among samples. The product is labeled as Krab Salad and sold as a dip, but contains no real crab meat and instead uses imitation crab made from Alaskan pollock and pacific whiting. Many store-bought crab dips use imitation crab to cut costs, but Kroger's contains absolutely no real crab. The dip exhibits a complete lack of seafood-forward flavor, tasting like generic fish in an overly sweet dressing that overwhelms the minimal jalapeño and paprika, leaving no perceptible kick.

Read at Tasting Table