Japanese panko breading: Why it's a game changer in your kitchen

It's perfectly crispy, and many people believe it outshines traditional breadcrumbs. Panko breading is a Japanese invention that is winning over the hearts and stomachs of consumers worldwide. If you haven't heard of it yet — it's high time you did!

Japanese cuisine enjoys constant popularity in Poland. Many people not only regularly visit restaurants that specialise in this field of gastronomy but also try their hand at it at home. For such amateur cooks of the Land of the Rising Sun, we recommend getting acquainted with a product called panko. You definitely won't regret this decision!

When it comes to 'crispy elements' in Japanese cuisine, most of us associate them with tempura, a method of frying food in batter in deep fat. It's worth complementing this knowledge with another concept—panko. What exactly is it? It is a breading similar to the well-known breadcrumbs. However, there are characteristic differences that, according to many, give the Japanese breading an edge.

What distinguishes panko from breadcrumbs is primarily the size of the individual wheat flakes. Breadcrumbs are tiny particles, while panko consists of pieces up to about 6 millimetres long. This method of preparing panko makes dishes extremely crispy after frying. The Japanese use this product to prepare fish, seafood, poultry, vegetables and tofu, which are then consumed accompanied by various sauces.

Who said you have to go to an Asian food store for panko? You can easily prepare this tasty breading yourself. An excellent product for making this Japanese delicacy is... toast bread.

First, use a knife to remove the crusts from the bread. Then, leave the bread unwrapped for about 2 days to let it become stale. You can speed up this process using an oven set at 150°C. However, you must be vigilant to ensure the bread doesn't burn.

Next, grate the stale toast bread using the large holes on a grater. Spread it on a baking sheet and place it in an oven preheated to 70°C. Bake for about an hour, then let it cool. Your Japanese breading is now ready to use. Good luck with your further culinary experiments!