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Fried Maple Leaves Are A Tasty Autumn Snack In Japan

As beautiful as they are, autumn leaves can become a huge headache when it comes to clogged gutters and un-raked yards. Japan, however, has turned this seasonal flood of garbage into a tasty treat by frying their maple leaves in lightly sweetened batter.

The snack, which seems to be a specialized delicacy from the Osaka area in Japan, is made by frying Japanese maple leaves in tempura batter. The pros in the city of Minoh in North Osaka preserve the leaves for a year in salt barrels, but other recipes don’t seem to demand this lengthy step.

If you want to try making them, simply dip your cleaned and dried (ideally, Japanese) maple leaves in sweetened tempura batter and fry them in hot vegetable oil – maple syrup is optional. For a more detailed recipe, check out this link.

(h/t: neatorama, kotaku)

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163Kviews

There is a beast with heart of cold stone that dashes like lightning, shreds flesh from bone. // Bewitched by this beast, I fell to my knees. My mouth babbled madness and mumbled soft pleas. // I stared down the ravenous, gnashing dark maw of a cute cuddly kitten with yarn in its paw

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What do you think ?

POST

DestinyRobinson 10 years ago

AWESOME I really could use something sweet to eat right now. Preferably maply! French toast, waffles, and Japanese maple leaves please!

6points

DianeNegrón 9 years ago

Your comment is making me hungry! lol

0points

Load More Replies...

CathrynSwallia 10 years ago

In medieval England candied rose petals were a delicacy. Why not maple leaves? My horse loves them!

3points

Lea Flaherty 8 years ago

be careful which kinds he eats: http://homeguides.sfgate.com/varieties-maple-poisonous-63160.html

0points

Load More Replies...

Tracy Hicks 8 years ago

Sugar maple is fine, red maple is highly toxic to horses.

0points

DianeNegrón 9 years ago

That sounds delicious!

0points

RuthVilmi 10 years ago

Really? I didn't know that, Cathryn :-) Thanks!

0points

AngelAngel 10 years ago

look cool but u sure u can eat leaves??

1point

CharlotteNiteman 10 years ago

Lettuce is leaves. So is spinach. So is kale. So is basil. And lots of other spices and foods.

4points

Load More Replies...

LeeHwang 10 years ago

I WANT.

1point

DimitriWauthier 10 years ago

great, i want to eat some

1point

GwendolynDünner 10 years ago

Nice article, beautiful pictures... but Osaka is not in the North of Japan... Research. It can save your credibility.

1point

Dovas (Post author) 10 years ago

I confused North Osaka with Northern Japan. Sorry! I've fixed the error.

4points

Load More Replies...

RoxyWhite 10 years ago

♡

1point

FraiseSnö 10 years ago

Sounds nice... ♡

1point

Soulless Senpai 8 years ago

animals pee on leaves/. i would not wanna eat them.

0points

M. M. Sands 8 years ago

Are they good?

0points

Angie Roberge 8 years ago

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/varieties-maple-poisonous-63160.html

0points

DanielleBattisti 9 years ago

I would think the leaves don't really have much taste? Perhaps it's more about the batter and the leaves making it look beautiful? Now I'm curious...

0points

DanielleBattisti 9 years ago

I would think the leaves don't really have taste? Perhaps it's more about the batter and the leaves help the batter look beautiful because of their shape... now I'm curious....

0points

JulieBrokken 9 years ago

Looks amazing! Y'all must also know that leaves are not trash, but nutrition that protects the very roots of the trees they fall from during the cold winter months. Nature does not waste.

0points

malittle 9 years ago

So does Japanese maple trees produce maple sugar like the New England ones?

0points

RicharddeSimone 10 years ago

i am rich i will sell them my millions upon millions leaves

0points

YayacillaSlater 10 years ago

Looks as good as locusts !

0points

fogliedacero 10 years ago

Incredible! I didn't know the Maple leaves are good to eat. Which is the latin name of the right Maple leaves to fry ? Thanks

0points

Sumeet Kaur 10 years ago

LOOKS COOL!!!! WANT TO TASTE ONE :-)

0points

SylvainLéger 10 years ago

Not convinced if the maple leaves in our area are good, those from Japan look more like marijuana leaves. This could give someone an idea..?

0points

Caroline Holmes 10 years ago

Ooh erh mrs what ever next!!

0points

Eva Wu 10 years ago

有點噁心吶

0points

EvaWu 10 years ago

有點噁心吶…

0points

MarziaSabrina 10 years ago

Is Canadian maple leaf edible? I would love to make some for myself.

0points

RhodomelMeads 10 years ago

You are actually eating 99% of your calories from the tempura batter and the oil instead of the maple leaves. So this is unhealthy food.

0points

KrisCallaghan 9 years ago

no s**t. -_- It's a snack, not a meal.

0points

Load More Replies...

BrittanyKarst 10 years ago

Seems interesting. Wonder how they would taste? ☺

0points

MelodyMcEvoy 10 years ago

I wish one of our Japanese restaurants would do this

0points

SarahofBorg 10 years ago

Proof that absolutely anything tastes good fried

0points

Hip Chick 10 years ago

Yum.

0points

POST

DestinyRobinson 10 years ago

AWESOME I really could use something sweet to eat right now. Preferably maply! French toast, waffles, and Japanese maple leaves please!

6points

DianeNegrón 9 years ago

Your comment is making me hungry! lol

0points

Load More Replies...

CathrynSwallia 10 years ago

In medieval England candied rose petals were a delicacy. Why not maple leaves? My horse loves them!

3points

Lea Flaherty 8 years ago

be careful which kinds he eats: http://homeguides.sfgate.com/varieties-maple-poisonous-63160.html

0points

Load More Replies...

Tracy Hicks 8 years ago

Sugar maple is fine, red maple is highly toxic to horses.

0points

DianeNegrón 9 years ago

That sounds delicious!

0points

RuthVilmi 10 years ago

Really? I didn't know that, Cathryn :-) Thanks!

0points

AngelAngel 10 years ago

look cool but u sure u can eat leaves??

1point

CharlotteNiteman 10 years ago

Lettuce is leaves. So is spinach. So is kale. So is basil. And lots of other spices and foods.

4points

Load More Replies...

LeeHwang 10 years ago

I WANT.

1point

DimitriWauthier 10 years ago

great, i want to eat some

1point

GwendolynDünner 10 years ago

Nice article, beautiful pictures... but Osaka is not in the North of Japan... Research. It can save your credibility.

1point

Dovas (Post author) 10 years ago

I confused North Osaka with Northern Japan. Sorry! I've fixed the error.

4points

Load More Replies...

RoxyWhite 10 years ago

♡

1point

FraiseSnö 10 years ago

Sounds nice... ♡

1point

Soulless Senpai 8 years ago

animals pee on leaves/. i would not wanna eat them.

0points

M. M. Sands 8 years ago

Are they good?

0points

Angie Roberge 8 years ago

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/varieties-maple-poisonous-63160.html

0points

DanielleBattisti 9 years ago

I would think the leaves don't really have much taste? Perhaps it's more about the batter and the leaves making it look beautiful? Now I'm curious...

0points

DanielleBattisti 9 years ago

I would think the leaves don't really have taste? Perhaps it's more about the batter and the leaves help the batter look beautiful because of their shape... now I'm curious....

0points

JulieBrokken 9 years ago

Looks amazing! Y'all must also know that leaves are not trash, but nutrition that protects the very roots of the trees they fall from during the cold winter months. Nature does not waste.

0points

malittle 9 years ago

So does Japanese maple trees produce maple sugar like the New England ones?

0points

RicharddeSimone 10 years ago

i am rich i will sell them my millions upon millions leaves

0points

YayacillaSlater 10 years ago

Looks as good as locusts !

0points

fogliedacero 10 years ago

Incredible! I didn't know the Maple leaves are good to eat. Which is the latin name of the right Maple leaves to fry ? Thanks

0points

Sumeet Kaur 10 years ago

LOOKS COOL!!!! WANT TO TASTE ONE :-)

0points

SylvainLéger 10 years ago

Not convinced if the maple leaves in our area are good, those from Japan look more like marijuana leaves. This could give someone an idea..?

0points

Caroline Holmes 10 years ago

Ooh erh mrs what ever next!!

0points

Eva Wu 10 years ago

有點噁心吶

0points

EvaWu 10 years ago

有點噁心吶…

0points

MarziaSabrina 10 years ago

Is Canadian maple leaf edible? I would love to make some for myself.

0points

RhodomelMeads 10 years ago

You are actually eating 99% of your calories from the tempura batter and the oil instead of the maple leaves. So this is unhealthy food.

0points

KrisCallaghan 9 years ago

no s**t. -_- It's a snack, not a meal.

0points

Load More Replies...

BrittanyKarst 10 years ago

Seems interesting. Wonder how they would taste? ☺

0points

MelodyMcEvoy 10 years ago

I wish one of our Japanese restaurants would do this

0points

SarahofBorg 10 years ago

Proof that absolutely anything tastes good fried

0points

Hip Chick 10 years ago

Yum.

0points

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Fried Maple Leaves Are A Tasty Autumn Snack In Japan

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