Meaning & use
panko
Last updated
UK/ˈpæŋkəʊ/
US/ˈpɑːŋkoʊ/
Meaning
noununcountable
Light, coarse, flaky breadcrumbs of Japanese origin, used to give fried or baked food a very crisp coating.
Grammar: Uncountable: a cup of panko, not 'two pankos'.
Patterns
- coat something in panko
- a cup of panko
She rolled the chicken in panko before frying it.
Sprinkle panko over the macaroni to get a crunchy top.
We ran out of panko, so I used crushed crackers.
Common combinations
- panko breadcrumbs
- Panko breadcrumbs stay crisper than the fine kind.
- toast the panko
- Toast the panko in butter until golden.
- coat in panko
- Coat the fish in panko and bake.
- panko crust
- The panko crust crackled under the fork.
- a handful of panko
- Add a handful of panko to the meatballs.
Synonyms and how they differ
- breadcrumbs
- Breadcrumbs is the general word, whereas panko means the lighter, flakier Japanese style.
- crumbs
- Crumbs may be any small pieces, and are not specifically made for coating.
- rusk crumbs
- Rusk crumbs are denser and finer, giving a heavier coating than panko.
Word family
- panko-crusted adjective
- coated with panko before cooking
- breadcrumb noun
- a small piece of crumbled bread
- tonkatsu noun
- a Japanese dish of fried breaded pork cutlet
Practice
Which ingredient gives fried shrimp a light, extra-crunchy coating?
Choose one answer.
Panko is the flaky breadcrumb used for crunchy coatings. Paprika is a spice and adds color, not texture.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “panko”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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