The Sam's Club Seafood Shoppers Absolutely Love

Every now and then you get a packaged good that everyone swears by, and this time, there's one frozen seafood item at Sam's Club that many people say is excellent. The most interesting part is that it's not real, but rather an imitation product. That's because the item in question is a package of highly-lauded imitation crab, called Gadré Surimi Snow Leg Style.

Most of the hype was towards the end of 2024, when many users on social media were using the Gadré brand surimi snow crab to create affordable versions of seafood boils (real crab can obviously get real pricey, unless you get it at places like Aldi). Those who've purchased it have praised it for its real crab-like texture, along with its shellfish flavor. The shape of the product also looks like it was pulled from the shell, since it's tapered on both sides. Surimi is made from the paste of Alaskan pollock, which gives it an all-purpose meaty texture, and is then flavored to taste like shellfish from anything to shrimp, snow crab, and lobster. This brand seems like it just fires on all cylinders for many shoppers, so if you're into imitation crab, you may want to take note.

As long as you know imitation crab is almost it's own thing rather than being a straight crab replacement, it can be a pretty great ingredient to play with. Crab is most famously known as the protein component in a California roll, accompanied by avocado and cucumber. One of the easiest ways I like to prepare it at home is in a DIY hand roll platter. Simply shred the imitation crab, julienne some cucumber, and slice an avocado, putting it all in separate sections on the same plate. Then you can serve pre-cut hand roll-sized pieces of nori and sushi rice on the side, and let people build their own individual rolls (don't forget to have a dipping sauce of soy sauce and wasabi ready). You can also use imitation crab for things like a seafood salad to serve on bread rolls; it's a fun way to feel like you're being luxurious without spending stressful amounts of cash.

You'll find that different brands often interpret imitation crab much differently; no two products are alike, and can vary greatly. But if we're going by crowd pleasers, the Gadré imitation crab has legions of fans that have historically cleared out freezer sections, so take that information and wield it well. At the time of writing, a 2-pound bag will run you just over $10 at Sam's Club, so it's definitely affordable, which means you have plenty to experiment with or use during your next California roll night. If you're looking for something a little different, consider trying the imitation crab available at Asian grocery stores which, in my opinion, reigns supreme for its crabby flavor, pull-apart quality, and juiciness.