Panko bread crumbs, also known as Japanese-style breadcrumbs, are used to give foods a satisfying crunch, just like "regular" breadcrumbs more commonly found in Western countries. There's more separating these types of breadcrumbs than region of origin, and these are their culinary and nutritional differences.

Making standard breadcrumbs involves letting stale bread dry out at a low temperature in the oven before grinding it in a food processor, which makes them finely-ground and sandy. The Nutritionix food database says that breadcrumbs have more calories, carbs, and protein than panko, plus 2 grams of fat and 2 grams of fiber.

Meanwhile, to make panko, the bread is shredded instead of ground, which yields larger, lighter, crispier flakes that are crunchier when cooked, since they soak up less oil. Kikkoman reports that one-half cup of panko breadcrumbs contains roughly 110 calories, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

Though panko is often used for breading and frying, while breadcrumbs can be used as either breading or binders in meatloaf and other dishes, both types of bread crumbs can be substituted for one another. You can typically swap them at a 1:1 ratio, especially since many recipes aren't specific about the quantities of breadcrumbs.