Jon asks: What is panko? You always refer to it as “Japanese Bread Crumbs” in your recipes, but what is it exactly?

Panko originated (sort of) in Japan and is made from specially baked, crustless white bread. The coarsely ground crumbs are larger and more delicate because the crumb itself is slivered and oblong, instead of rounded like traditional breadcrumbs.

This light and airy crumb shape coats the food instead of compressing on to it. This keeps fried or baked food from absorbing oil so it stays at its crunchy best. Food tastes lighter and less heavy.

Many larger supermarkets have panko in the “ethnic” aisle. You can almost always find it in Asian markets, as well.

Oh, and when I say panko “sort of” originated in Japan, it’s because the Portuguese introduced bread to Japan. The word panko comes from the Portuguese word for bread (pão) and –ko, the Japanese suffix for crumb: pão + ko = panko.

Sorry… Mama’s gone all Tracy Flick again. I’m working on it.