Authentic Panko vs. Standard Breadcrumbs
In the past the customary practice for many restaurants was to make their own breadcrumbs from day-old bread and dinner rolls as a way to minimize waste, save money and also try to create a unique and better crumb for their recipes.
Are you one of the many restaurants still making your own breadcrumbs from leftover bread? Is it really cost effect, does it provide a better crumb for your recipes or is there a better choice?
The Nitty Gritty Facts about House-Made Breadcrumbs
Dinner rolls and day-old bread are not designed to create a good breadcrumb, let alone a great breading for fried foods. Dinner rolls and standard bread will have a strong bread flavor which can over-power the flavor of the food. Also in-house crumbs will have a hard, dense texture. In many cases the in-house made breadcrumb doesn’t provide a crispy coating, but a thicker softer coating because standard in-house breadcrumbs will absorb and retain oil.
Now, onto the cost savings – is grinding your own really cost effective? When you consider bread and dinner rolls can cost anywhere between $2.00 -$4.00 per pound, after you add the labor and time involved to dry and grind them, the in-house made breadcrumbs will cost $3.00 – $4.00 per pound!
Is there a better option?
The Better Breadcrumb – Authentic Panko
An excellent option is using Authentic Japanese Panko instead of in-house made breadcrumbs. The key quality attributes of an authentic Panko are; flavor neutrality and a light delicate crispy texture.
Authentic Panko enhances the protein you’re coating with a light delicate crispy texture without the bready flavor. This is the main reason the popularity of Panko has steadily been increasing. Authentic Panko breadcrumbs are delicate, light with an incredible airy texture, which is flavor neutral, so your food will never take on a bready flavor. The airy, delicate texture doesn’t hold the oil after frying, the oil will drain out keeping the coated food light and crispy – never hard or dense. When coating is hard or dense the patron thinks the menu item is either over breaded or over cooked. Both not positive. Patrons will prefer a light delicate texture on their fried foods. Best of all, the cost is inexpensive compared to in-house made crumbs. On average an authentic Panko will cost about $1.10-$1.30 per pound.
Use your left over day-old bread for better uses, like bread pudding or croutons!
Not all Panko is Authentic
You might have noticed the multiple references to the word “Authentic” in this post. The word “Authentic” is important. There are many commercial panko brands, however, only a few offer a truly authentic Panko.
Look for the following to ensure you’re using an authentic Panko:
- Large sliver shape crumb (flaky look) – Standard Panko will have small round crumbs.
- Light airy texture – Authentic Panko will always be light and delicate. Standard Panko has a hard and dense texture.
In addition to the noticeable visual differences, Authentic Japanese Panko will have a simple, clean, non-GMO ingredient list:
- Wheat Flour
- Shortening (sometimes)
- Cane sugar
- Yeast
- Salt
About Upper Crust Enterprises
For over 35 years, Upper Crust Enterprises has been producing Authentic Panko breadcrumbs for Japanese and many other restaurants across the globe. Keeping to the traditional Japanese methods and taking the time to do it right in blending, baking, elongated drying process, and grinding is the secret.
We guarantee our Authentic Panko will:
- Taste lighter and crisper.
- Stay crispy longer.
- Provide at least a 26% better yield than standard Panko.
Upper Crust Enterprises authentic Japanese Panko breadcrumbs are available in All Natural. All of our Panko is certified GMO Free, vegan, Kosher and Halal.
Try it for Free
We invite all professional chefs that are still using day-old bread for their breadcrumbs or using a standard Panko to try Upper Crust Enterprises Authentic Panko – risk free and with no high-pressure sales call – Our “pitch” is in our product!
To learn more and request a sample of an Authentic Panko Visit Upper Crust Enterprises at www.UpperCrustEnt.com
