Easy Japanese Knotweed Fruit Chaat

• About
• Latest Posts

Follow me

Adam Berkelmans

Managing Editor at Harvesting Nature

Adam Berkelmans, also known as The Intrepid Eater, is a passionate ambassador for real food and a proponent of nose to tail eating. He spends his time between Ottawa and a cozy lake house north of Kingston, Ontario. When not cooking, he can be found hunting, fishing, foraging, gardening, reading, traveling, and discovering new ways to find and eat food.

Follow me

Latest posts by Adam Berkelmans (see all)

• Summertime Chanterelle and Vegetable Medley - July 20, 2026
• Cajun Rockfish Lettuce Wraps with Cheater Rouille Sauce - June 29, 2026
• From Salted Mushrooms to Biltong: 10 Fascinating Wild Food Traditions from Around the World - June 19, 2026

Chaat is a popular street food in South Asia, originating in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which generally combines crunchy, creamy, spicy, sweet, and tangy flavors and textures. There are many (many!) types of chaat out there, but one in particular caught my attention last spring–a refreshing fruit chaat. Fruit chaats are generally made with a mix of in-season fruits, as well as herbs, chickpeas, fruit juice, and chaat masala, the ubiquitous spice blend that ties all of the different chaat varieties together.

Chaat masala, which can be found in any South Asian grocery store, or online, is a spice blend that can change from household to household, but typically includes amchur (sour dried mango powder), black salt (a pungent and funky flavor with sulphurous notes – don’t worry, it’s quite enjoyable), cumin, and coriander, among other spices. There is nothing else quite like it, so don’t go replacing it with garam masala and calling it a day!

What got my attention was this particular chaat’s ability to harmoniously combine sweet, sour, and savory flavors at once–just like the tasty Japanese knotweed, a pernicious introduced ornamental species that has escaped yards and taken over many wild riparian areas. One benefit of this stuff is that it’s springtime shoots are not only edible, but quite delicious. Read all about the plant and how to harvest it here: Japanese Knotweed.

The knotweed shoots worked fantastically in this chaat, adding a distinctive hard-to-pin-down flavor and juicy crunch. If you can’t find knotweed where you live, or missed the short window for harvesting, feel free to replace it with rhubarb, for a similar, but much tarter experience.

Serve this chaat for breakfast or lunch, or even for a refreshing snack on one of those blissful warm spring days when the sun is shining!

Serves: 4
Time to make: 15 minutes
Also make with: rhubarb

Looking for more Japanese knotweed recipes? Try out this delicious Japanese Knotweed Cake with Streusel Topping recipe by Adam Berkelmans!

Listen to our Podcast
Apple Podcasts, Google, Spotify, Amazon Music

Get a Copy of our New Book!

Japanese Knotweed Fruit Chaat

Recipe by Adam Berkelmans

0.0 from 0 votes

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

0

minutes

A South Asian take on fruit salad incorporating Japanese knotweed that will knock your socks off!

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

• 1 big handful knotweed shoots, cut into rings (leaves and tips discarded)

• 1 tart apple, cubed

• 1 14 oz (400ml) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 1/4 english cucumber, cut into 1/4 or 1/2 moons

• 1 cup grapes, halved

• 1/2 cup mint leaves, sliced into thin ribbons

• Juice from 1 orange

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 2 teaspoons chaat masala

• 1 teaspoon sugar or honey

Preparation

• Mix in a bowl until combined, serve, or transfer to the refrigerator for 30 minutes for a cool treat. Enjoy!

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @harvestingnature on Instagram and hashtag it with #harvestingnature

Like this recipe?

Follow @harvestingnature on Pinterest

Join our Facebook Group!

Join Harvesting Nature’s Facebook group Harvesting Nature – The Group