For some 900 years, surimi has been a staple of the Asian diet. Around 1100 A.D., the Japanese discovered that if fresh fish was cleaned, minced, washed and cooked, the resulting product, which has the appearance of an unbreaded mozzarella cheese stick, could be stored and eaten later. The product which became known as "surimi", could be formed into a cake or loaf, which was then sliced and dipped in a variety of sauces.

Recognizing the convenience of this age old proven method of preparing seafood, Louis Kemp® began marketing crab, lobster and scallop flavored varieties of surimi in the United States.