Breadcrumbs

Types

Dry

Dry breadcrumbs are made from dry breads that have been baked or toasted to remove most remaining moisture, and may have a sandy or even powdery texture. Breadcrumbs are most easily produced by pulverizing slices of bread in a food processor, using a steel blade to make coarse crumbs, or a grating blade to make fine crumbs. A grater or similar tool will also do.

Fresh

The breads used to make soft or fresh breadcrumbs are not quite as dry, so the crumbs are larger and produce a softer coating, crust, or stuffing.

Panko

Panko (パン粉) is a type of flaky breadcrumbs used in Japanese cuisine as a crunchy coating for fried foods, such as tonkatsu. Panko is made from bread baked by passing an electrical current through the dough, which yields a bread without a crust, and then grinding the bread to create fine slivers of crumb. It has a crisper, airier texture than most types of breading found in Western cuisine and maintains its texture baked or deep-fried, resulting in a lighter coating. Outside Japan, its use has become more common in both Asian and non-Asian dishes. It is often used on seafood and is typically available in Asian markets, specialty stores, and many large supermarkets.

Panko is produced worldwide, particularly in Asian countries, including Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, China, and Vietnam.

Etymology

The Japanese first learned to make baked bread from the Portuguese. The word パン粉 (panko) is derived from pan, giving the word for bread in Japanese (derived from the Portuguese word "pão" for bread), and -粉 (-ko), a Japanese kanji indicating "flour", "coating", "crumb", or "powder" on occasion, when used as a suffix (as in komeko, "rice powder", sobako, "buckwheat flour", and komugiko, "wheat flour").

Pangrattato

Pangrattato is an Italian garnish of toasted, seasoned breadcrumbs, often added to pasta or cooked vegetables. It may be flavored with ingredients such as garlic, anchovies, chili peppers or herbs.