Beauty and benefits of Japanese breadcrumbs

Hansel and Gretel never heard of them and, in their case, they wouldn't have made much difference anyway. But modern cooks who want the crispiest coatings, the lightest stuffings, and the crunchiest toppings for their dishes would be just as lost as the famous duo of the Grimm fairy tale without their panko breadcrumbs.

Panko breadcrumbs are relatively new to the culinary scene. America's Test Kitchen didn't even get around to evaluating them until just a few years ago. There's not even a separate entry for them in either the Oxford Companion to Food or the Cambridge World History of Food. The Gourmet Cookbook includes only one recipe calling for them.

In the short time since those volumes were published, however, panko has taken professional and home kitchens alike by storm. For example, in 2008 only 5 percent of American homes regularly had a box of panko in their cupboards. Now it's more than three times that many. Similarly, references to panko on restaurant menus have gone up over 20 percent in the last couple of years. You used to be able to get the product only in Asian markets, but now any grocery store worth its salt offers panko, as often as not in the aisle with regular breadcrumbs rather than in the specialty food section.

Panko, a term derived from "pan" which means bread and "KO," a suffix meaning crumb or powder, has become so popular because it is totally unlike other breadcrumbs. Because it's shredded rather than ground like other breadcrumbs, it has a coarse and uneven texture with a large surface area and an oblong shape with pointed ends, not unlike, say, crushed cornflakes or potato chips. It would be more accurate to think of it as bread shards or flakes. As a matter of fact, just like snowflakes, no two panko crumbs are alike.

Because of its irregular shape, panko doesn't compact or compress like ordinary breadcrumbs. Moreover, it doesn't absorb as much oil as regular breadcrumbs. The result is lighter, crispier fried foods which, after they are prepared, will stay crunchy longer before turning soggy. Indeed, foods coated in panko can even duplicate the crunch of deep frying without the frying. Panko also adds volume to food when used as a coating, making, for example, fried shrimp seem bigger than they really are.

Unlike ordinary breadcrumbs, which are merely ground, Panko breadcrumbs are shredded into oblong shards, which make for the crispiest and crunchiest results. (TOM HARTE)

The bread from which panko is made is also unique. It's not baked in the usual sense. Rather, the dough is cooked in a special oven that passes an electric current through it, cooking it evenly inside and out and producing a bread without a crust. In other words, the stuff is electrocuted -- humanely, of course. According to panko folklore, this method was discovered during World War II when Japanese soldiers used electricity generated by their tank batteries to cook bread so as not to draw enemy attention to themselves with smoke and fire.

Thus, even with breadcrumbs, the Japanese have done what they are so good at -- improving the inventions of others, like the automobile, the camera, and even sushi (which started out in China). The Japanese did not have much of a bread-baking culture until around the 16th century when the Portuguese, the first Europeans to visit their island, introduced bread. But once they got hold of the idea, their unique take on breadcrumbs would ultimately follow. Too late for Hansel and Gretel, but, happily, not for the rest of us.

Salmon Croquettes

This is essentially my mother's recipe for salmon croquettes, a dish she made almost weekly when I was growing up. Too bad she didn't have access to panko, because the Japanese breadcrumbs elevate even her recipe to new heights.

2 cans (14 and 3/4 ounces each) salmon

Unlike ordinary breadcrumbs, which are ground, panko breadcrumbs are shredded into oblong shards, which make for the crispiest and crunchiest results. (TOM HARTE)

1 and 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

As an ingredient and as a coating, Panko does wonders for foods like these classic salmon croquettes. (TOM HARTE)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

3/4 cup oil

Drain salmon and mix together with one 1 cup of panko crumbs the mayonnaise, scallions, egg, salt, and pepper. Using 1/2 cup mixture per patty, form into 3-inch cakes about 1-inch thick. Evenly coat with remaining panko crumbs. Fry in 1/2 cup oil over medium-high heat, adding remaining oil if needed, for 8-10 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Tom Harte's book, "Stirring Words," is available at local bookstores. A Harte Appetite airs Fridays 8:49 a.m. on KRCU, 90.9 FM. Contact Tom at semissourian.com or at the Southeast Missourian, P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63702-0699.