Mayapple Ricotta Toast
Mayapples taste like pineapple, passionfruit, and lemon! This recipe pairs mayapple pulp with just a couple ingredients to accent their tropical flavor.


Are Mayapples Edible?
Mayapples (Podophyllum peltatum) are toxic at most stages of their life cycle – only the fully ripe, completely yellow/white fruits are edible (but even then, the seeds contain toxins!). It’s usually considered too labor intensive and risky to eat for beginning foragers – but if you get the chance to taste the ripe fruit, you’ll understand while people go to great lengths to harvest it!
What do Mayapples Taste Like?
Mayapples have a flavor all their own, but taste distinctly tropical: somewhere between pineapple, passionfruit, and lemon. It’s tart without being overtly sour, sweet without being cloying – bright and zingy!
How do you eat Mayapples?
It’s pretty uncommon to harvest a large quantity of mayapples (let alone a single one – the animals usually get them first), so most people just enjoy them deseeded as a raw snack to savor their flavor. This recipe gives you all the goodness of the unadulterated mayapple flavor, but we’ve paired it with a few ingredients to accent their flavor:
-The ricotta gives you fat to balance the pulp’s acidity.
-The honey brings out a little sweetness
-The red pepper flakes provide a sharp contrast that helps the mayapple flavor sparkle




Mayapple Ricotta Toast
Equipment
- 1 toaster or skillet to fry in
Materials
- 1 slice bread, such as ciabatta
- 1/4 cup ricotta
- 2 tbsp deseeded mayapple pulp
- honey, to taste [optional]
- red pepper flakes, to taste
- flakey salt, to taste
Instructions
- 1. Toast or fry bread until deeply golden brown. Cool to room temperature.
- 2. Spread ricotta on the toasted bread, then spoon mayapple pulp on top. Drizzle with honey (if using), and sprinkle with red pepper flakes and flakey salt.