Carrot Leaves are Edible
In Finland, carrots are sometimes sold with their leaves still attached. I’ve often heard of using the leaves as sprinkles on white rice. But since I don’t eat much white rice, I didn’t buy them. However, I thought I could use it as a normal leaf vegetable, so I bought some.
The carrot leaves have a flavor similar to parsley. I thought they could be also a good substitute for crown daisy because of their slightly bitter taste. I tried them with sesame paste first, and it was a great decision.
If you want to eat the leaves as well, it would be better to check the hardness when buying them at the store. The stems of the well-grown leaves were quite hard and inedible. The ones with soft stems and dark green color were delicious.
Japanese Carrot Leaves Salad with Sesame Dressing

Carrot leaves have a taste similar to parsley or crown daisy. Because they have a slightly bitter taste, they go well with sweet flavored sesame paste.
INGREDIENTS
- carrot leaves 50 g
Seasoning
- roasted sesame seeds (
recipe here ) 2 Tbsp - soy sauce 2 Tbsp
- brown sugar 2 Tbsp
- dashi powder 1/4 tsp
INSTRUCTIONS
- Wash carrot leaves well and boil them in hot water.
- Select only the tender leaves and cut them into bite-sized pieces. The stems are often tough.
- Mix the seasoning (*1).
- Add the carrot leaves and mix.
NOTES
*1If the brown sugar does not dissolve completely, leave it for a while after adding the carrot leaves and mix again.
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