As fall colors mesmerize us and the cool crisp air refreshes us, there is a seasonal treat that doesn’t involve apples or pumpkin. It’s Maple leaves. Yes deep fried maple leaves! Maple I can explain……
It is something I included in my book “I Just Wet My Plants” chapter 9 “Lettuce Party like it’s 1999.”
It’s a Japanese snack called momiji tempura, or deep-fried maple leaves made with a sweet tempura batter. I love the tradition in the Japanese town of Minoh City where they deep fry the maple tree leaves. Minoh is known for its beautiful Japanese Maple trees ablaze in color in fall. It’s not fast food. It takes patience and about a year to prepare. Perfect yellow leaves from Maple trees are hand selected and then packed in salt and left for a year. The salt is then shaken off the leaves and leaves are individually deep fried in tempura butter coating with a little bit of sugar for a truly regional delicacy.
Here is a link to a recipe from https://www.ediblewildfood.com/deep-fried-maple-leaves.aspx
“Maple” I will try this sometime. It is a taste treat that could be unbe-leaf-able!
