is a variety of flaky bread crumb used in japanese cuisine as a crunchy coating for fried foods, such as "tonkatsu". "panko" is made from bread baked by electrical current, which yields a bread without a crust, and then grinding the bread to create fine slivers of crumb. it has a crisper, airier texture than most types of breading found in western cuisine and resists absorbing oil or grease when fried, resulting in a lighter coating. outside japan, its use is becoming more popular in both asian and non-asian dishes. it is often used on seafood and is often available in asian markets, speciality stores, and, increasingly, in many large supermarkets.