Just north of Osaka, Japan, there is a wonderful location for enjoying the autumn colors. It is known as Minoh Quazi-National Park. park is best known for a beautiful waterfall, wild monkeys and an abundance of maple trees. And the maple leaves are more than just a feast for the eyes– believe it or not, you can enjoy eating them too.

fried maple leaves 1

They are served up fried in a sweet batter. But you can’t just pick them off the trees and start frying. There is a long process involved in making them. They have to be cured in salt for over a year before they are ready to fry. They say that they have been making maples leaves this way for more than a thousand years.

fried maple leaves 2

The leaves themselves have hardly any flavor, but fried up in a batter they are pretty tasty. People love them for their beautiful star shape too.

There are several shops at the bottom of the trail that sell the fried maple leaf treats. You can pick up a bag for about 500 yen. Many visitors buy them as souvenirs.