It’s almost time to go back Stateside…and finally be with my husband again! I can’t believe I’ve been in Italy for almost a year.
As I’m trying to wrap things up at work and I’m starting to get ready to move across the ocean again, I find myself dragging at the idea of doing things that keep me away from the people and the places I love and I’ll dearly miss one month from now.
One of the things I am trying to avoid these days is spending time in front of my computer. Up until not too long ago, the thought of not posting regularly on this blog would make me feel restless and inadequate. These days I’m “more” okay with leaving the blog hanging to give priority to other things that may seem trivial to most people, but that are SO important to me. I’m talking about simple things such as building train tracks with my almost-3-year-old nephew, paying a visit to a friend I haven’t seen in forever, having a cup of tea with my aunt, helping my mom plant flowers in her beautiful garden, or simply going for a long walk with my cousin in the country roads near my house.
Speaking of which, mid-spring is one of the times I enjoy the most here in Italy. It’s not too cold and not too hot, and walking in the countryside is so beautiful. The flowers of Acacia trees are in bloom now and their sweet scent attracts gazillions of bees. I love the fact that this plant not only gives us, through the precious work of bees, a delicate, clear, and floral honey, but also gives us flowers that can easily be fried and turned into delicious savory appetizers or sweet treats.
Yes, I went foraging again…and yes, you can eat these flowers! You can quickly whip up some batter by combining flour and cold sparkling water; then simply fry your flowers covered in batter (like you would fry zucchini blossoms) and, BOOM, you get some delicate, crispy, utterly addictive, and fun-to-eat fritters! I personally prefer sprinkling them with salt to counterbalance the natural sweetness of the flowers. If you’ve got a sweet tooth and are looking for a surprising and elegant way to end your dinner, serve them with a drizzle of acacia honey, instead. Whether sweet or savory, I promise they’re equally delicious.
If you’d like to prepare these Acacia Flower Fritters, hurry up! THIS is the time to go out in nature and look for acacia flowers — their blooming cycle will end soon!
All that’s left for me to say is…Happy foraging and buon appetito! <3
- 20 acacia flower bunches
- 1 cup (150 g) of all-purpose or 00 flour
- 1½ cup of ice-cold sparkling water as needed
- a pinch of salt
- peanut oil for frying
- sea salt for sprinkling (savory version)
- acacia honey for drizzling + sugar for sprinkling (sweet version)
- Check your flowers and make sure they're clear of any insects.
- Mix flour and salt in a bowl. Slowly add sparkling water, stirring with a whisk until most lumps are gone.
- Pour a little over an inch of peanut oil in a wide pan and heat to 350 F (175 C).
- Holding the flowers from their stems, drench them in the batter. Gently shake off any excess batter.
- Lay your flowers in the oil and fry them in batches, without overcrowding the pan. Once they have cooked on one side, flip them with a slotted spoon, until lightly golden.
- Remove fritters from the oil and lay them on a dish lined with paper towel to absorb excess oil. Sprinkle with salt for a savory appetizer or drizzle with honey and dust with sugar for a sweet treat.
I tried this yesterday for the first time at a friends and am happy to find you..