noun
imitation crab meat; crab sticks
Common processed seafood product made from surimi, often shaped and colored to resemble crab leg meat. Used in salads, sushi, and hot dishes.
サラダにカニカマを入れた。
I put imitation crab in the salad.
カニカマはお弁当の彩りに便利だ。
Crab sticks are handy for adding color to bento boxes.
Abbreviation of カニ (crab) + 蒲鉾 (かまぼこ, fish cake). The kanji 蟹蒲 is a direct representation of this combination, but the word is almost always written in kana.