The legacy of Upper Crust Enterprises, Inc. began in 1955 when Masashi Kawaguchi, a dynamic entrepreneur, established Fishking Processors, Inc., a small seafood processing facility located in Los Angeles, California. The business was soon to be known as Mrs. Friday’s. Mrs. Friday’s was a brand produced by Fishking Processors, however, because of the overwhelming popularity of Mrs. Friday’s, the brand name was associated as the business name.
After a few short years in business, a fairly new ingredient developed during World War II, caught Mr. Kawaguchi’s attention: Panko. The texture of Panko was so incredibly light, airy, and crispy, it was completely different than breadcrumbs, seasoned flour, cornmeal, or cracker meal, which was used as a coating for seafood by restaurant chefs. Most of these options tended to be dense, heavy, and not very crispy. This tiny little ingredient was about to be responsible for big changes at Fishking Processors, Inc. and the Kawaguchi family.
In the early 1960s, Mr. Kawaguchi created Mrs. Friday’s Panko coated shrimp using panko imported from Japan, which was distributed to American restaurants. The panko coated shrimp was an overwhelming success! Mrs. Friday’s expanded its seafood lineup and opened 4 seafood processing plants in the USA to supply Panko coated seafood to restaurants across the United States and Canada. The Mrs. Friday’s brand quickly became the gold standard for light and crispy coated seafood.
Vastly different than the industry standard of the times, the light, airy, and crispy texture of the Panko coating was Masashi Kawaguchi’s signature point of difference. It was his foresight and passion for quality that would soon lead to the very first Authentic Panko Manufacturing plant in the United States and the beginning of Upper Crust Enterprises.
Not all Panko is Authentic
Not all panko brands are Authentic Japanese Panko breadcrumbs; the difference is substantial in performance and quality. Any panko that has a hard and dense texture and a round shaped crumb, is not an Authentic Panko.
An Authentic Panko is always light and delicate with a sliver shaped flaky crumb and has the following characteristics:
- Shape: Authentic Panko has a sliver shape and flaky crumb. The sliver shape provides better highlights making the coated product look bigger and more appetizing.
- Texture: Authentic Panko has a light airy delicate texture, providing a light crispy taste. Standard Panko will be round with a hard dense texture.
- Size: Authentic Panko has fewer fines with a larger sliver shape flaky crumb vs. the round hard crumb of standard Panko. Size matters and has a significant impact on the overall plate presentation and yield.
- Yield: Authentic Panko is light and airy, it provides at least a 26% better yield when compared to standard Panko. Since Panko is purchased by the pound but used by volume, the airy larger crumb goes further.
Exclusively for Professional Chef and Food Distributors
We invite all professional chefs and food distributors to try a free sample of our Authentic Panko. Compare and experience the differences first hand.
We guarantee Upper Crust Enterprises Authentic All Natural Panko will:
- Taste lighter and crispier.
- Have a delicate crispy texture that stays crispy longer.
- Provide a better yield than standard Panko.
- Perform better than standard breadcrumbs.
- Deliver a better plate presentation making coating items look bigger but not taste bready.
Our simple and clean ingredients is just one of the many things that sets Upper Crust Enterprises apart from other foodservice brands. We only use traditional ingredients, without additives, dough conditioner or preservatives. Our Authentic Panko products are certified GMO Free, Vegan / Vegetarian, Kosher and Halal, making them the perfect choice for any professional kitchen.
