Upton’s Breakroom creates a vegan fish fry out of banana blossoms | Eater Chicago

"The vegan cafe attached to Upton’s Naturals' headquarters is offering church-style fish fries for pickup via Tock through the end of March (next pickup Friday, March 5), using banana blossoms to mimic the texture of fried whitefish. I learned the tightly packed petals are marinated with lemon juice, dill, and kelp powder, battered with celery salt, paprika, garlic, and pepper, then fried in canola oil until golden brown; meals come with a baked potato (with a pat of margarine), a dinner roll, and a vinegar-based coleslaw. Natalie Slater, the company’s marketing director who created the recipe printed on Upton’s Naturals’ banana blossom packaging (debuted in October), says this is a fun way to introduce mainstream consumers to an ingredient popular in Asian cuisines, and if the blossoms are a hit they may try other fried-fish styles such as Sri Lankan, Thai, or English fish and chips." - Ashok Selvam