Nisshin Soft Japanese Panko 300g

Soft Japanese panko for a crisp coat and a tender bite.

Nisshin Soft Panko is Japanese breadcrumb from Nisshin Welna, made for coating and deep-frying. The pack sums up the brief: a coating that is crisp outside and soft to the bite. It is made from oven-baked bread, as the 焙焼製法 (baking method) mark on the pack notes. 300g value bag.

Pairs with: Bull-Dog Tonkatsu Sauce, Kewpie Mayonnaise and Japanese tempura paper.

Panko (パン粉) means bread powder: pan, from the Portuguese pão, is the Japanese word for bread, and ko means flour or powder. Japanese panko is made to fry, with a larger, flakier crumb than European breadcrumbs, so the coating stays light and lets oil drain away. It is the coating behind Japan's yōshoku (Western-style) fried dishes such as tonkatsu, ebi fry and korokke, which grew up in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and are now everyday Japanese food. This is the soft style (ソフトパン粉), made for a tender bite.

What is the difference between panko and breadcrumbs?

Panko is made to fry. The flakes are larger and more open than ordinary breadcrumbs, so they take on less oil and give a lighter, crunchier shell. The bread itself is plain and neutral, letting the meat, fish or vegetable inside do the talking. This soft style aims for a crisp exterior that gives way easily, rather than a hard crunch, which suits cutlets, prawns and croquettes served with a thick sauce.