Numerous, they skirt many roads in this period.
They are acacia trees.
Their flowers in pendulous clusters exhale a sweet scent.
In Tuscany, near Florence, there is a small town, Sambuca, which celebrates spring with the festival of “cascia” fritters: acacia flowers. Citizens prepare and cook pancakes that they let visitors taste…… Until two years ago, when the pandemic interrupted all social activity. While waiting for the festival, in the meantime we can make pancakes by ourselves: acacia trees are everywhere.
I have two suggestions:
ACACIA FLOWER PANTIES
Ingredients for the batter:
1 egg
100 gr flour 00
50 ml white wine
water ( about 50 ml)
salt
Separate the egg white from the yolk and whip it until stiff with a pinch of salt. Mix the egg yolk with flour, wine and water, alternating the ingredients so that they do not form lumps. Incorporate the egg whites.
Other ingredients:
Acacia flowers
peanut oil
The flowers are gathered in piles and mixed quickly into the batter. The work must be done with your hands: the piles of mixed flowers lie in the hot oil and cook until golden.
Here are the ultimate, crunchy and golden pancakes.
FRIED ACACIA FLOWERS
Ingredients for the batter:
flour 00
water, about the same weight of the flour
a little baking powder
The bunch is “dipped” into the batter, holding it at the base of the branch, and gently shaked to drop the excess batter. The grapes are immersed in hot oil, turning them every now and then, until they are golden.
Elderberry “umbrellas” can also be prepared in the same way, as in the photo below.
Marcella Ansaldo ©