Panko is a Japanese-style breadcrumb traditionally used as a coating for deep-fried foods such as tonkatsu. The biggest difference between panko and standard breadcrumbs is that panko is made from bread without crusts, which is coarsely ground into airy, large flakes that give fried foods a light, crunchy coating.
The flakes tend to stay crispier longer than standard breadcrumbs because they don’t absorb as much grease.
Although predominantly used in Asian cuisine, panko has been gaining popularity in Western dishes. It can be used to coat fish/ chicken/ veggies or as an excellent crunchy topping for casseroles such as mac and cheese.