Panko Bread Crumbs

[SIMIHOUND]

Are PBC available at local supermarkets or a specialty market? Do they come seasoned?
What things are they better used for frying? I live in So Cal btw. Thanks

[Midlife]

My wife bought a huge box of panko at Costco (OC/CA) a couple months ago. Great deal, though enough to last us a a VERY long time. I've also found it at Ralph's and Albertson's, in the Asian food section, though they don't always have it.

[roundfigure]

Hey simi,

You can get them at the Valley Produce Market at the corner of First and Easy in the Asian foods aisle.

They're good for crabcakes, btw.

[SIMIHOUND]

Thanks. I havent been by there in a while. Now I have a reason.

[LukesBride]

i can't find panko bread crumbs in my supermarket...so i grind up store bought croutons in my food processor and use those.

[chef chicklet]

Panko is best for frying, I love to make tonkatsu with panko. You must use a high heat for frying, and don't use it for baking. It will gum up on you as I learned the hard way.
I've not tried it for meatloaf or meat mix, preferring regular dried unseasoned, or my own homemade toasted french bread crumbs.

[sparkareno]

So Cal? Trader Joe's, Ralph's, How's, Cost Plus World Market. I'm pretty sure I've seen them at Von's & Albertson's too. Sometimes they are in the Asian food section. I love them.

[Will Owen]

I get'em at those places if I need them in a hurry, but the best ones are at the Asian markets for considerably cheaper, and so I stock up there when I remember to. HK and 99 Ranch are okay, the big Korean-owned markets in places like Long Beach the best.

[herring]

Whole Foods carries their own seasoned panko bread crumbs in a wide variety of choices (a few Asian, lemon pepper, Italian, etc). In the store I go to, they're kept in the seafood section. I haven't tried them (easy enough to do my own seasoning), but they look good. I use panko for breading fish, as a topping for gratins, stuffing for artichokes, a little in crabcakes, etc. I never use "regular" breadcrumbs any more.

[SIMIHOUND]

Thanks everyone. What an overwhelming response to a fellow CH.

[Berheenia]

I use them a lot. I can make my own Italian but I love the mustard style for meatloaf and the tomato for coating chicken. There is a coconut style that would be great with fish.

[lexpatti]

I just bought some seasoned panko at a regular supermarket (Market Basket if you are in New England area) - last night made the BEST ever baked catfish. I mixed the panko with corn meal and cajun spices. dredged first in flour, then egg wash, then panko. Awesome awesome!!!

[andieb]

Progresso makes seasoned panko. At least it's available here in MA..

[Aravisea]

I tried Progresso's "Italian" panko last week. The "Italian" part packed a bit too much flavor that I couldn't control. I'm going for unseasoned panko at the Asian market for next time.

[RGC1982]

I don't like Progresso's "Italian" style breadcrumbs because it has too strong a cheese flavor (cheap Romano) and is pre-mixed with spices in proportions I don't always want or want to use. I don't always add oregano, for example, so it is better not to have it in there at the start. I like to add my own spices to plain unseasoned bread crumbs, which are much better than seasoned from Progresso.

[MysticYoYo]

Agree that Progresso's Italian panko was nothing to write home to Grandma about. I do wish all brands would come in a resealable bag to keep the remaining product crisp.

[BeefeaterRocks]

Kikkoman has a resealable bag.

[BubblyOne]

Ians too-they used to come in a nice plastic screw-top container, but at least they switched to a resealable bag.

[TrishUntrapped]

I use panko for just about everything I use regular bread crumbs for including breading for cutlets, meatballs, and meat loaf.

Also, all panko is not created equally. I used the Progressive brand once, and never again. The texture was way off, it was more like tiny balls rather than flaky strands.

[coll]

Panko comes coarse and fine, so check the label. It's a great secret ingredient in meatballs and meatloaf because it makes them so light and fluffy. But for fry breading I've come back to good old Italian bread crumbs.

[BubblyOne]

Will second that for meatballs and meatloaf. What a difference!

[Aravisea]

Really? Huh. Need to try that.

[TrishUntrapped]

Yeah, panko does well in those.

[RGC1982]

Funny you should say that, because although we LOVE the texture of panko on chicken cutlets, they definitely get soggy faster than when I make them with regular bread crumbs. So, if we are going to eat all or most of it when first cooked, we go with Panko, but if this is a double batch for planned leftovers, I will probably use regular breadcrumbs (Italian style). They definitely hold up better in the fridge.

[BigSal]

You can use them instead of regular bread crumbs- particularly in foods that you are looking to have a crispy, crunchy texture. Some common ways to use panko in Japanese cooking include tonkatsu (pork loin, cutlet, chop), flour the pork, dip in egg and then panko and fry. You can make tonkatsu into katsudon (rice bowl with egg, onion and tonkatsu) or katsu karei (Japanese curry with slices of tonkatsu served over rice). Tori (Chicken) katsu is the same recipe made with chicken. Some seafood treatments are kaki furai (fried oyster) or ebi furai (fried shrimp). I have also had some great croquettes made with panko. Let us know what you make.

[todao]

You can get Panko bread crumbs seasoned, but they're not easy to find and I've never found them seasoned with anything other than a mixture of Asian spices. I prefer to buy the white Panko crumbs (made with just the bread with no crust material in the mixture) rather than the darker colored crumbs that have the crust include in them.
They can be used on anything that you might want to cover in a very light textured coating. Use them anywhere you might typically use bread crumbs.

[greygarious]

I have seen whole wheat and regular panko in regular supermarkets near Boston. They are unbeatable for crisp breading when frying or oven-baking but i am unaware of any other uses.

[pikawicca]

Mix equal parts panko and Parm; moisten with a little olive oil. Sprinkle on top of just about any casserole before baking. Use to top spaetzle or other pasta. Sprinkle on salads to add a little crunch.

[Will Owen]

Hot tip: this is the other place where the aerosol olive oil comes in really handy. If you want a light coating of oil and don't want to pick up crumbs or sprinkled-on herbs on your brush, a quick shot of your Spray Grease (as we call it around here) lays on a nice even coat instantly. Trader Joe's has the one I used to like best; Fresh & Easy has one that's actually better, being just as cheap but longer-lasting.

[Rubee]

I've bought them with Italian seasoning (Ian's brand, which also have the whole wheat) at the local supermarket. I use the Italian panko for veal Milanese, chicken cutlets, stuffed mushrooms, etc. I stock up on the plain panko at any of the Asian markets. Most recent use was this weekend in crabcakes:

Asian-Style Crab Cakes with Wasabi Sauce
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

[monku]

These days a lot of major grocery chains carry panko.
I've never heard of seasoned panko. Anything you want a crispy crunchy coating on panko will do the job.
Japanese markets will definitely carry it.