Panko is a Japanese style of breadcrumb made from "shokupan" (standard Japanese white bread) crushed into big crumbs, which adds a nice crunch to fried foods like "tonkatsu" (pork cutlets) or "ebi fry" (fried shrimp). It is also sold as "panko" overseas! Breadcrumbs normally used in Western cuisine are made of crackers or dried bread, which gives a crunchier texture due to its fine, hard pieces.