Dear Lisa: What's with the cooking fad regarding "panko" bread crumbs? I've seen them listed in several recipes. Do they really differ from ordinary bread crumbs? Are they expensive and difficult to find? -- Peter B.

Dear Peter: Panko, also known as "Japanese" or "Japanese-style" bread crumbs, have become mainstay of the culinary scene in the past couple of years.

They differ dramatically from ordinary bread crumbs.

Rather than being a finely ground, cracker-based meal, panko crumbs are made from specially baked bread that yields large, light, crispy and flaky crumbs.

These crumbs do not become dense, heavy or soggy. Their jagged-edge coarse shards are especially prized for retaining their crunchiness and crispness when used as a coating for fried foods. The presence of sucrose helps in browning as well.

Pure white panko crumbs are made from yeast bread with the crusts removed. Those who love bread crust will want to locate tan-tinted panko, made with the crust left on.

Any panko coating can be enhanced by the addition of herbs and spices.

You'll find panko crumbs in the Asian or ethnic sections of most supermarkets (and occasionally alongside the regular bread crumbs in the baking section).

Panko crumbs are not extraordinarily expensive: a 6-ounce bag is about $2.29.

But if you're feeling adventurous, you can make a pretty good batch at home.

Put trimmed slices of stale white sandwich bread through a food processor fitted with the shredding disk to make coarse crumbs. Spread the crumbs on a baking sheet and dry them at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 minutes or so. Stir the crumbs a couple of times during baking and don't let them brown.

• Lisa Fritz, a longtime food and nutrition educator, answers readers' questions about food, cooking and recipes. Her e-mail address is cheflisa525@ yahoo.com.