I love Panko and use it when making tempura, especially shrimp. I also use it to coat eggplant slices that I saute to make Eggplant Parmiggiana. I pretty much only use it when frying, but since I got a Cool Daddy, I deep fry fairly regularly - like twice a month or so. I use Panko on fried okra, which is probably my favorite fried food. I still use cornmeal in the recipe, but the Panko softens the cornmeal a bit.

Lars

I use panko exclusively for deep frying.

The crust turns out crispier and lighter. Since the panko crumbs have a more spiky shape, they stick out from the egg wash or whatever you use to provide "adhesion", and deep frying produces a more textured, sort of fluffy, nibble.

With standard bread crumbs, they are often too small, like grains of sand, which can produce a smooth, armor-like coating.

Not sure about breading something and then pan frying or baking it, as I don't do that much if ever.

I imagine that you can make your own crumbs of any desired size, but processing to more or less fineness. In that case, presumably a homemade crumb can be made large-sized, and work like panko.

Love it as a coating for chicken or fish and it's great for adding crispiness to oven bake things. The price is isn't bad here although the only thing I don't like are the additives.

I feel about Panko the way I feel about cruises and for the same reason -TV. Those of you of the senior persuasion may remember a network TV show called Quincy, M.E. Jack Klugman played Quincy, a LA coroner. Every time he went on a cruise, passengers started dying from some rare disease or there was a botulism epidemic from a to-be-determined food on the buffet, etc. The show ran for seven seasons so cruises were the theme of multiple episodes.

We have been on various types of vacations in many countries of the world but every time we talk about or investigate booking an ocean cruise, those TV shows come back to make us abort our cruise plans.

So what does this have to do with Panko? At least ten years ago, there was a TV show that detailed the Japanese Panko manufacturing process from start to finish. It seemed incredibly unnatural to me and up on a shelf (in my mind, at least) with vegetables sprayed with DDT or carbon monoxided ground beef. I vowed to just stay away from Panko.

But after several years (probably seven), I relented and ordered fried shrimp coated with Panko from my favorite Florida seafood restaurant or chowed down on fried crab cakes enrobed in Panko at a friend's party. It tasted OK but not much different than bread crumbs.

I still haven't bought any Panko for home use so I guess you could put me in the "none of the above" category. And, at this point, I think I could be persuaded to go on a cruise if I won one in a contest.

This post was edited by ruthanna on Wed, Apr 10, 13 at 19:30

Panko and bread crumb both should taste the same. Both are made with bread. The difference is in the texture and panko uses only the white part of bread.

If you view panko and regular bread crumb under a microscope, you will understand why panko is so much more crispy for deep frying. Panko has thinner and more airy structure to give the crispy mouth feel.

If you are not happy with Panko that you have, try a different brand. There are many inferior pankos.

dcarch

My thinking is that it works best on foods which don't have long cooking times.

Jimster, I think you're onto something. Also, for those who think it hurts to eat, I seem to recall recently seeing a recipe that called for a quick whir in the FP. Might be worth a shot. As dcarch said, there's a definite difference in texture from bread crumbs, and I imagine that would remain noticeable even if very slightly ground down.

Lars, I've never had Tempura made with breadcrumbs. Only with a very light batter.

Jim, I think that breading , regardless of whether it is panko or homemade breadcrumbs, works best on foods that fry quickly.

I used the Panko on chicken fingers. Same way that you bread. I did add a little fresh grated parmesan cheese to the crumbs, and I rubbed the chicken with fresh garlic. But I do the same when breading with fresh bread crumbs.

And I think that you actually pay more for Panko than I did. My box was 907 g. which is about 32 ounces. So based on your $2.45 for eight ounces, I didn't do too bad. And I have a friend who told me she loves Panko so I will pass the box on to her.

And I disagree with Dcarch. Although both are bread crumbs and only white for Panko, Panko is flavourless and homemade breadcrumbs do have a flavour of whatever bread you use for the crumbs which I think contributes to the flavour to the meat/fish. Tasted plain it is just basically tasteless. Probably made from bread without salt added.

I wouldn't say that Panko was crispier, just that the crumb was harder and as Cloudy mentioned "sharp". Anyway not a texture that I like.

~Ann

and here I thought it was just me. i don't love 'em or hate 'em, I'm relatively indifferent. Here an 8 ounce box cost me $2.85 and since I bake bread regularly I nearly always have a piece of bread that needs to be something before it gets moldy. So, into the food processor it goes for bread crumbs, I seem to have an endless supply and I don't have to pay nearly $6 a pound for them either.

I have used them on baked shrimp and they were OK, but nothing to shout about, and I find that I tend to season food more heavily when I use panko because my homemade bread crumbs add flavor where panko does not.

My homemade bread crumbs come in a variety of flavors, I might have some Farmhouse White, some Honey Wheat, the end piece of a cheese loaf, whatever. They all go in the freezer in a ziplock freezer bags and I label them so I know what I'm using, some things just don't taste right with rye or cheese bread, LOL.

If I'm making something that requires a certain flavor, I'll make bread crumbs especially for that but I nearly always have crumbs in the freezer that I can take out and use, toast or don't toast, depending on what I need.

I have a box of panko that's been in the pantry for nearly a year, it keeps getting shoved to the back. I suppose I ought to find it and throw it away.

Annie

Put me down in the "Like" column. I don't think that Panko and breadcrumbs are always interchangeable.

I like it because we are trying to avoid fried foods and it gives a crispy, fried texture to things baked in the oven. I do't find it sharp, just crispy. I do the flour/egg/panko routine, with the panko seasoned with whatever strikes my fancy, then spritz with misto and bake. I have easy access to many, many Asian markets and stores, so Panko is cheap and plentiful here.

I think the brand of panko makes a HUGE difference. If you can find Japanese brands (like Shirakiku or Orchid brands) from an Asian store, they are very light and flaky and make superlative tempura, chicken nuggets, and fish. But the two times I've tried other brands (Trader Joe's and an expensive organic grocery store brand), they were like little rocks of overbaked bread. Just awful. I threw them away.

I have to keep panko in the freezer if I'm going to store it awhile, or I think it develops a rancid taste.

I use Japanese panko (maybe that's the difference?) and we love it on oven baked fish fillets. We find it's nice and crispy, not sharp. This is despite having a ton of homemade bread crumbs in the freezer (which I use for other things).

I used to mix my spices with it but found that by putting spices in the egg mix the flavor is much more even.

I'm with Ann_t, I understood tempura by definition was a batter dip, not breaded. Live and learn.

I'm not sure I've ever actually had panko. I know I've never purchased any. I've thought about it several times, to try it out since I've heard so much from the TV "chefs" that maybe they're on to something and I like the thought of a lighter coating for some things. But I never think of it when I'm in the store and when I bread something I never have it so it's the vicious circle. And I don't believe in running to the store for one item if I'm out (sans beer). I'll usually make do without it.

I do suspect that the butterfly shrimp I've had at the restaurant were coated in Panko. They seem to have the look of it and seems like that is one thing many places would use with panko. I'm not overly impressed with it. It is crispy and sort of "snappy" ends on it ("snappy" referring to crispness or texture, not taste). Its one of the few breaded things I've considered peeling the breading off of to eat.

I've quit using breadcrumbs altogether in meatloaf. I dice up fresh bread. Heard the suggestion to tear bread rather than use crumbs and I really seem to like it since I started doing it that way. I dice it rather than tear it. The torn pieces were a bit too large a couple times, but still had a good taste and gave it a preferable texture. I will use some dry breadcrumbs in there additionally though only if it's too wet and needs to be firmed up a bit. Dang I'm in the mood for meatloaf!

I don't love it or hate it. But I do keep some in the pantry and use it occasionally. Like mtnester, I always have leftover matzo meal from Passover so I usually use a mixture of the two, depending on what I'm making.

I do buy the Japanese brand at my grocery store, I don't remember what it's called now, but I do know that the price is much cheaper now than it used to be. I probably didn't pay more than a couple of dollars for a good sized bag. I remember the very first time, years ago, that I wanted to buy some and the price was ridiculous so I passed. I think that was at the beginning of its trendiness.

I don't care for Panko. I bought some not long ago for some particular recipe and I don't even remember what it was now.

When I fry chicken, I use self rising flour and buttermilk.

When I fry shrimp....also self rising flour and beaten eggs. I don't like a thick coating on them and the self rising flour (or some baking powder added to all purpose flour) makes them light and a little crunchy.

I like cracker meal for frying fish. You used to be able to get Nabisco cracker meal....came in a blue box...but I haven't seen it in ages. I also like it for frying oysters. Lately however, I have gone back to frying oysters in self rising flour too. I first had it that way about 45 years ago in Florida. it beats the heck out of frying them in corn meal, which is how most people fry them. I heard a guy on the radio just raving about a new restaurant and what he called "chicken fried" oysters. That is nothing new....at least not in this house. I don't double dip anything, except sometimes onion rings....so I like things fried but not a really thick coat that wants to come off the first bite you take.

I have always feel that cooking is not about taste, it is about getting the right texture. Follow the measurement in a recipe and you will get the right taste, but it will be lousy eating if you mess up the texture.

Panko gives great texture if done right.

Asian cooking has some amazing texture techniques.

If you want the greatest deep fried crispyness, check out the link.

I have been trying a long time and have not been able to come close.

dcarch

Here is a link that might be useful:

Dcarch, that would be deep fried - what? Just curious.

Damn, DCarch, I hate having to disagree with you again, but...... I can't believe that you think that cooking isn't about "taste".

Of course it is about taste. Does texture contribute to taste? Or the enjoyment of eating certain foods? Of course. Something that tastes good, could have a texture that doesn't appeal. But then again, what doesn't appeal to me, might be very appealing to you or someone else. The same with taste. One person's taste is not the same as another. But I can guarantee that you won't ever find me saying OMG this texture is so good, so perfect, I don't care that it doesn't taste good.

Cooking is all about taste.

Just to clarify, there is no right or wrong answer to this thread. I just wondered whether more people here liked panko or didn't. Lots on both sides of the fence.

~Ann

Sorry Ann, I disagree that we disagree. LOL!

The first disagreement, I was talking about commercial plain bread crumb, and you were talking about home made seasoned bread crumb.

This "disagreement", I am talking about taste as in flavor (flavour), and you are talking about taste as in the overall eating experience, flavor + texture.

Warm ice cream taste the same as frozen ice cream (flavor-wise) but it is lousy eating because the texture is all wrong. Soggy french fries taste the same as crispy french fries.

Flavor (taste) is easier to achieve. Texture takes years of practice.

dcarch

A few years ago, I remember reading about the process of making panko. As I remember, the bread type batter is spun in threads in a big tub. It never was a loaf of bread, might explain the difference in texture.

There are some things that I make that I like to use panko on. The coating for crab cakes is the first that comes to mind, I use it on the outside but use regular bread crumbs in the crab mixture. I love the contrast in texture and the panko does double duty in that it gives a firmer crust. I keep a box of panko on hand just for the times I want the texture, knowing the flavor of the food will compensate for the lack of any flavor in the panko.

Cooking for me is all about flavor. I feel that texture is an important element to cooking but the flavor of the food is the overall most important factor. I use a very light tempura batter for some things, recently for a variety of vegetables. I saw a recipe for tempura that used rice flour and decided to give it a try.....yucky texture, bad flavor! I threw the rest of the rice flour away, won't make that mistake again.

Nancy

Let me put it in a different way, perhaps that would be more accurate of what I am trying to say.

Flavor is very important, as important as texture, but in the exercise of the act of cooking, relatively speaking, given the fact that digital information is seconds away from your finger tips, having the right recipe to have the right flavor is very easy; however, being able to achieve the right texture, it all has to do with the right techniques and skills, which takes much more than just reading a recipe.

A cake fails to rise has the same flavor as one that is beautifully baked.

dcarch

Posted by donna_loomis "Dcarch, that would be deep fried - what? Just curious."

I had it a few times in a Chinese restaurant. I was told what it was, but I don't remember. It was savory, and inside with a little meat and something. As you can see you just want to bite into one.

Melt in your mouth kind of crispiness. You will be most admired by your friends and family if you can achieve that heavenly texture.

dcarch

Coating for crab cakes is a great idea for using panko. In terms of the concept Dcarch is trying to express, panko crusted crab cakes would be superior to any I have had. I want to try that. Maybe salmon patties would be good made that way too.

Another good use for panko is in making pork katsu, a sort of Japanese schnitzel. Chicken katsu is another version. Come to think of it, panko would probably work well for wiener schnitzel.

The way I view it: good ingredients + proper execution = good taste. Good taste is the end result rather than the starting point, and the achievement of a pleasurable texture is one of the methods of transporting us there.

Well said, Ruthanna.

This brings up a problem I have with recipes. Proper execution is such an important part of the equation, yet so very difficult to convey verbally.

Jim

"-----and the achievement of a pleasurable texture is one of the methods of transporting us there."

Absolutely.

Hard boiled egg, scrambled egg, poached egg, fried egg, -----same egg, different textures. Reading recipes will do you no good. Practice, practice and practice.

dcarch

The texture is different and so is the flavour. A boiled egg tastes different than a fried egg, scrambled egg or a poached egg.

~Ann

We all have different cooking styles. I am an ingredient-driven cook. I went to the farmers' market this morning and came home with items that looked the best and were a good value. Now I have to figure out how to turn them into something that tastes and looks good.

(The looks good part is because my husband has lost 90+% of his senses of taste and smell so color and overall appearance assist in convincing him that what he's eating tastes fabulous.)

Some cooks may be recipe-driven, texture-driven, craving-driven, budget-driven, appliance-driven or so many other styles. In the high temperatures of mid-summer, I become a weather-driven cook in that I don't want to turn on the oven at all.

In the equation I posted above, I start on the ingredient side and work toward good taste and others start with the idea of a certain taste they want and then find ingredients and ways of preparation that will achieve it.

It's like those Management Style grids in the business world whose end result is to help understand that different styles can give equally positive results but with a different methodology.

Ruthanna, I like your explanation.(and everything you make looks fabulous.)

Sometimes I shop for particular ingredients because I have an idea of what I want to cook and other times, especially in the summer when our farmers markets are open, I buy what looks good and I work around that.

~Ann

I've only tried it once... a few weeks ago, I RUINED 12 dollars worth of shrimp with it. I had trouble getting the panko to stick to the shrimp (just dipped them in eggs) and didn't like the texture at all. I cooked the shrimp in the halogen oven because I didn't want to fry, but that may have given better results. Give me some Vigo Italian seasoned bread crumbs or homemade bread crumbs any day instead. I'll never use panko again.

Ruthanna, I think what you said about your husband shows that what's most important is up to the individual. A blind man wouldn't care much what the food looks like. For me, given two reasonably executed meals where I prefer the taste of one but the texture of the other, I'd typically choose the better tasting one. But yes, I'd take perfectly cooked french fries over delicious soggy ones. Looks takes a very distant third place. If I were to cook a beautiful meal that was both bad in taste and texture, I'd most likely snap a picture for WFD, then throw it out and head to McDonald's!

I used Panko for th efirst time last night. I made pasta, broccoli, tossed with pan seared proscutto. I can't see the difference between Panko and say Progresso's bread crumbs in a canister. anyway, The pank was to be toasted in a skillet with garlic and chopped up leaks and sprinkled on top of the pasta mixture. I added some white truffle oil to the panko stirring it in with the garlic and leaks. It was a good addition to the pasta dish. But, I am not sure how it differs from regular ol breads crumbs made with dried out bread or Progresso. Anyone care to educate on the finer tastes between Panko, bread crumbs and Progresso? Basically, I know if I used Rye bread, the tasts would be different but this is just seems to be say, wheat bread and a bit of seasoning. Anyway Panko is like in a lot of recipes this past month.

I don't care for it. Sharp is a great way to put it and just too expensive to me for what it is.

Whatever your reasons for cooking Ruthanna, your meals always look SO good!!! Just looking at them, your husband has to know they taste good.

Evil Jessy sent me some years ago as I couldn't find in my small store when I lived up at the lake. It was for a baked chicken recipe. I still use it for that and will sub it for bread crumbs for a topping on a potatoes casserole dish if I don't have bread crumbs on hand. I don't love it or hate, lol, guess I thinks it's okay.

David

I can't distinguish between taste and texture that much. "delicious soggy ones", french fries, wouldn't taste good to me at all if they were soggy.
Breaded fish that had a wonderful taste would be yucky if the texture was soft and not crisp.

I like Panko. However, I only use it on Roger's (hubby) fresh caught fish. Can't say I love it or hate it, but I do like it on his fish.

I'm a person who is very cognizant of texture, but it still has to taste good, I don't care how wonderfully light or crunchy or whatever something is, if it doesn't taste good I'm not eating.

On the flip side, some things feel so icky (like Jello) that I don't care if it's the best tasting thing this side of heaven, I'm not eat it.

So, I have to have both, a pleasing texture and good taste. However, I don't think panko has a particularly pleasing texture, it's not offensive but it's not wonderful either.

The thing that matters least to me is appearance. It matters little to me if everything on my plate is a shade of beige or the loaf of bread is misshapen or the shrimp is arranged only in groups containing odd numbers or whatever. I don't want it all piled up on top of each other though, as was the fashion in the recent past.

Sherry, Roger's freshly caught bluegill or walleye could hold its own no matter what it's breaded with, yum.

Annie

I still like panko for pork, chicken and fish ... and tempura made with seltzer water or beer (think onion rings here). Several years have passed since this thread .. are y'all still set in your ways?

It should be good for 'something'-on-a-stick at the state fair, too.

^_^

Nope! Tried several times. Overpriced stale breadcrumbs.

I used to buy panko for shrimp and it was actually very good, but recently the only brands I can find (off brands) are just downright nasty. As Sherry said, stale breadcrumbs. Not at all what I'd found in the past.

Love it.

Looking over this old thread, I was surprised at the number of on-the-fencers. I'm one, too. I don't mind good panko, but I also don't prefer it. I never use it in my own recipes.

I make my own breadcrumbs too. I dry them and keep in the freezer. I made some large ones once, to imitate Panko and breaded something. We didn't like them at all. I thought I was going to cut the roof of my mouth.

Dislike panko coating.

It has it's place. We use it particularly for topping cheese casseroles (Mac & cheese, scalloped turnips) and saute the crumbs in butter before topping the caserole. Also use for floured, egg dipped pork cutlets.

It's tolerable on top of green bean casserole ... 'tolerable' being the operative word

I can't help but wonder (given my past experience) if panko crumbs are different according to brand? When I was using it with shrimp it added a wonderful crunch but was so light in texture. It also looked very different - ultra thin, flat, and larger than regular bread crumbs. That which I find now is like thick cracker crumbs, small in size like cracker crumbs, heavy and adding only a cracker crumb crunch - not something I enjoy except on a broccoli casserole as others have mentioned. For the longest time I kept my panko crumb container to try to find it again - but eventually tossed it when I couldn't. I don't think I could make them myself and mimic the lightness.