Panko

From the Japanese pan for “bread” and ko for “small pieces,” dried, Japanese bread crumbs. They are very light and porous, and therefore, absorb only a little oil when used for deep-frying, resulting in a crust that is more crisp and less greasy. This type of bread crumb was invented during World War II when it was necessary to conserve energy by baking bread without heating it. The solution was to pass an electric current through the dough.