Autumn leaves are a beauty — and a chore to rake — in autumn, but in Japan's city of Minoh, they are also a snack.
According to legend, around 1,300 years ago, a traveler to the Minoo Taki waterfall in Osaka's Hokusetsu region was so enamored of the beauty of autumn maple leaves that naturally, he decided to fry them. Thus, new treat was born.
Maple leaves are picked from the tree, soaked in salt water for a year, then coated with a tempura batter, sesame seeds and sugar before they're fried in oil.
The first maple leaf store opened in 1910 in Minoh, 10 miles north of Osaka.
