Momotaro

Located north of Osaka, Minoh Park is a scenic forest known for its great waterfall and autumn foliage. Associated with 7th-century mystic En no Ozuno, who founded an ascetic sanctuary around the waterfall. Another well-known feature of Minoh is momiji no tempura, or batter-fried maple leaves, a local specialty that is said to have been conceived of by En no Ozuno himself.

In 1901, a souvenir shop by the name of Momotaro opened along the hiking trail that runs towards the Minoh Falls, and started selling fried maple leaves, inspired by the legend of En no Ozuno. Other shops and hotels followed suit, making the unusual snack a local favorite by 1920. Today, fried maple leaves remain a popular souvenir of Minoh, available at many shops near the national park.

Momotaro, as modest as it is, is the modern birthplace of momiji no tempura, and the maple leaves—after being salted for a whole year—are deep-fried in vegetable oil every day, and visitors may get to see them being cooked. It's a rustic, sweet delicacy with a taste of autumn itself, an all-time must-try in Minoh.