Origami, the delicate, Japanese art of paper folding is a wonder to behold. Creased paper reveals a plentiful array of possibility: animals, people, flowers. And now, a Japanese cook and Twitter user @key_daisuki has found a way to render the art form edible.
Behold, edible origami.
It all began when the young cook and his father found themselves with leftover wonton skins after preparing a batch of dumplings. Spurred by the spirit of creativity and experimentation, the duo began to test the limits of their culinary prowess, folding and bending the pliable wonton skin into origami-inspired shapes. They started with cranes and expanded into more complex shapes like boxes and samurai helmets.
The shapes crisp up nicely when fried and some even have the ability to be stuffed. Another Twitter user, @grandmariu, snagged the idea and made it his own. He filled his edible origami with edamame soy beans, ham, cheese, imitation crab, onion, white sauce, and other vegetables for a snack that’s as tasty as it is tasteful.
And judging by the looks of them, they don’t seem too difficult to replicate at home as long as you know an origami trick or two.
Would you test your hand at edible origami? Let us know your favorite folds in the comments below.
Valerio is a freelance food writer, editor, researcher and cook. He grew up in his parent's Italian restaurants covered in pizza flour and drinking a Shirley Temple a day. Since, he's worked as a cheesemonger in New York City and a paella instructor in Barcelona. He now lives in Berlin, Germany where he's most likely to be found eating shawarma.
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