NaPM April 11, 2017

[dukealien]

Mashup


Stormfather Neptune waited at the beck
of Juno, diademed, queen of the gods
along with Vulcan, crippled engineer,
first nerd, to hear her orders for their day.
“Amaterasu told me,” Juno said,
“her people wish a more convenient form
of seafood, one that freezing does not harm,
nor time corrupt.  Surimi, she avowed
could be a starting point.  I’ve heard as well
that my Hesperian people grumble at
the need to crack crab claws.  I told her that
we gods of high Olympus could provide.
Now see to it.” A peacock, hundred-eyed,
shrieked at her side: the interview was done.

Lord Neptune dripped and grumbled, “I will catch
the fish - you make the tackle, nephew mine.”
He stormed down to the sea and caught a ton
of pollock, whitefish from the bounty of
moist Amphitrite, demiurge of all
that live therein and Neptune’s fecund wife.

Then Vulcan, lame mechanic, started work
by making fillets of the landed fish
and shredding protein myofibrillar
from them to make surimi, his first step.
Long hours the crippled god tried additives
discovering at last that sucrose, sweet,
prevented loss of firmness when on ice
while starch and egg-white gave the fishy gel
a pleasant texture.  Vulcan’s quick machines,
invented for the purpose, processed all
while adding artificial hue and taste
and packaging in plastic, rolled and tight.

Queen Juno tried it in her kitchen lab
and found it good - thus we are blessed with krab.