In all honesty, the very best crab cakes are made with real crab. Fresh crab is best, and canned crab is a close second. While on the pricier side, jumbo lump crabmeat won't have any kind of added starches or sugars that are often used to enhance the flavor. The taste of real crab is also more genuine, and the texture tends to be flakier and not as chewy. It really comes down to personal preference and price point; either real crab or imitation would work just fine with this recipe!