Then, they’re taken out of the salt and are fried in a delicious, slightly sweet batter for over twenty minutes until they are crisp.

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[Photo: hosocoshi]

They’re great relaxing with a beer (or two!) under the falling leaves.

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[Photo: harukaze_0721]

You can eat fried leaves year round, but honestly, the best time to enjoy leaf tempura is while looking at the autumn colors. There is a long history in Japan of getting close to nature, whether that is through seasonal art, poetry or food.

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And there’s a long history of momiji tempura in Osaka with accounts saying the food was first prepared over a thousand years ago. Though, they certainly haven’t been sealed in plastic bags for that long!

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[Photo: カプチーノ@食べログ]

The current recipe is the result of being reworked numerous times over the years. If you are ever in North Osaka, give ‘em a try.

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[Photo: yuzuru_minoh]

For more photos, check out the Tabelog link below.

久國紅仙堂の投稿写真 [Tabelog]

This article was originally published on October 2, 2014.

To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com or find him on Twitter @Brian_Ashcraft.

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