cracker crumbs
Definition
- Noun:
- Crumbs of crackers: Small, broken pieces of crackers, typically produced by crushing or crumbling dry, crisp baked goods.
- Used especially for coating or thickening: This term specifically refers to cracker crumbs employed as a culinary ingredient, primarily to create a crispy outer layer on foods before frying or baking, or to add bulk and texture to mixtures like stuffings or meatballs.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The recipe calls for cracker crumbs to coat the chicken cutlets before frying.
- She used cracker crumbs as a thickener for the soup instead of flour.
Advanced Usage
- As a standard culinary ingredient: "Cracker crumbs" is a standard term in recipes, often used interchangeably with or as an alternative to breadcrumbs.
- For a gluten-free option, you can substitute breadcrumbs with cracker crumbs.
Variants and Related Words
- Breadcrumbs (n): A similar dry, granular product made from bread, used for the same purposes.
- Crumb (n): A small fragment of bread, cake, or cracker.
- Panko (n): A type of Japanese breadcrumb with a coarser, flakier texture, used for coating.
Synonyms
- Crushed crackers: A more descriptive phrase for the same ingredient.
- Cracker meal: A more finely ground version of cracker crumbs.
Notes on Meaning
- The term is almost exclusively used in a culinary context. It refers not just to any accidental crumbs from eating a cracker, but to the ingredient prepared intentionally for cooking.
- It is a compound noun where "cracker" specifies the type of "crumbs." The primary meaning is the collective noun for these crumbs as an ingredient.
Noun
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crumbs of crackers used especially for coating or thickening
