Yuzu

Beloved in Japanese cuisine, this unique, gnarly citrus fruit has gained cult status in Britain’s restaurant dining rooms. It’s taking root in home kitchens, too, bringing zesty flavour to simple suppers and special desserts alike. Clarissa Hyman peels back its secrets...

What is it?

A member of the Rutaceae family, yuzus range between the size of a clementine and a small grapefruit. With a knobbly, thick peel, the sturdy citrus fruit – love child of sour mandarins and lemony ichang papeda – hang on trees like illuminated Belisha beacons. Acidic, tangy yuzu is widely used and beloved in Japanese cooking, with its yellow hue adding a pure shot of sunshine to any kitchen.

The origins

There’s an old Japanese saying, ‘Three years for peaches, eight years for persimmons and 18 years for stupid yuzus [until they bear fruit]’. A little insulting perhaps, but it does suggest how precious the trees are. However, once grown, they can actually live for 100 years; and sometimes up to 300.

Believed to have originated in China (its name taken from the Chinese yòuzi), yuzu is one of the most cold-resistant of the citrus family, found in regions where more sensitive trees would not thrive. It grows wild in China’s interior, Tibet and Korea, but is most associated with Japan, where it was introduced over 1,000 years ago. The country leads the way in terms of the cultivation of this ever- more popular fruit, especially as its fortunes rise in the West.

The fruit grows on upright shrubs or small thorny trees with heavily scented leaves, and is used throughout the year, from the green, unripe fruit of autumn to the approach of winter, signalled by its bright yellow, ripe colour. In summer, a single small, white and fragrant blossom is sometimes floated atop a bowl of clear soup to release an ineffable aroma.

Tasting notes

Some say the yuzu smells like an intensely floral lime; others compare it to a mix of grapefruit and mandarin. In fact, the sharp but highly aromatic taste is unlike any of the citrus with which we are more familiar in Western countries. It’s more floral than orange, but far too mouth-puckeringly sour to be eaten raw – in Japan it is mostly used as a high-note flavouring. With its uniquely perfumed, pitted peel and sharp, precious juice, a little goes a long way.

Any benefits?

Yuzu contains vitamins C and A, plus other properties which are believed to help in reducing inflammation and promoting heart health. They are low in calories but highly nutritious, and contain plant compounds such as carotenoids, flavonoids and limonoids, all of which act as natural antioxidants.

Goes well with...

As the plump pips are far larger than those of limes and lemons, it is harder to extract segments of the pallid-coloured flesh. In Japan, yuzu is often used much like lemons are elsewhere, although its flavour is quite different. While the fresh fruit can be tricky to find, as with all citrus fruits, the zest is the most intensely aromatic part, rich with essential oils. It can be grated with a microplane or sliced, ready to be dried or candied.

Yuzu is the key ingredient in ponzu sauce, which is infused with the tangy juice, while sweet white miso flavoured with yuzu is a lively dressing for aemono (dressed salads). Yuzu vinegars, seasonings and condiments are also popular and becoming more widely available, alongside

yuzu powders and pearls. Used in marinades and sauces, the flavour is an ideal foil for the likes of fish and green veg, and works well with pork, too.

The peel can be added to soups and simmered dishes, while sesame seeds toasted in yuzu juice add texture and a subtle citrus note to seaweed, noodles and salads. Japanese food scholar Katsue Aizawa writes that its aroma is thought to enhance a dipping sauce of soy sauce and yuzu juice to serve with delicate grilled or baked matsutake mushrooms. Yuzu kosho (literally yuzu and pepper) is a spicy but addictive Japanese chilli paste made from floral green or yellow yuzu zest, green or red chilli peppers and salt. Stir into Kewpie mayonnaise for a fabulous dip.

Yuzu is also used in a wide range of sweets, cakes and marmalades as well as in the flavouring of snacks such as Doritos and potato sticks and soft drinks such as Yuzu Fanta. Its popularity with Western chefs perhaps began with the Nobu classic of miso-marinated black cod. Nobu also pioneered a zingy yuzu custard tart.

It’s often combined with honey to make a kind of syrup for yuzu tea, can be made into yuzu saké, or infused in cocktails such as the Yuzu Sour. Korean yuzu (or yuja) marmalade/jam is made by sugaring peeled, depulped and thinly sliced rind. When mixed with tea, this jammy condiment makes a delicious sort of tisane. As its popularity spreads, you can now find it adding a floral fragrance to ice creams, desserts, pastries and more. When buying bottled, look for 100 per cent juice with no additives or added sugar to get the most benefits.

yuzu powders and pearls. Used in marinades and sauces, the flavour is an ideal foil for the likes of fish and green veg, and works well with pork, too.

The peel can be added to soups and simmered dishes, while sesame seeds toasted in yuzu juice add texture and a subtle citrus note to seaweed, noodles and salads. Japanese food scholar Katsue Aizawa writes that its aroma is thought to enhance a dipping sauce of soy sauce and yuzu juice to serve with delicate grilled or baked matsutake mushrooms. Yuzu kosho (literally yuzu and pepper) is a spicy but addictive Japanese chilli paste made from floral green or yellow yuzu zest, green or red chilli peppers and salt. Stir into Kewpie mayonnaise for a fabulous dip.

Yuzu is also used in a wide range of sweets, cakes and marmalades as well as in the flavouring of snacks such as Doritos and potato sticks and soft drinks such as Yuzu Fanta. Its popularity with Western chefs perhaps began with the Nobu classic of miso-marinated black cod. Nobu also pioneered a zingy yuzu custard tart.

It’s often combined with honey to make a kind of syrup for yuzu tea, can be made into yuzu saké, or infused in cocktails such as the Yuzu Sour. Korean yuzu (or yuja) marmalade/jam is made by sugaring peeled, depulped and thinly sliced rind. When mixed with tea, this jammy condiment makes a delicious sort of tisane. As its popularity spreads, you can now find it adding a floral fragrance to ice creams, desserts, pastries and more. When buying bottled, look for 100 per cent juice with no additives or added sugar to get the most benefits.

Quick tips

The distinctive aroma is released on gentle heating, so add a small piece of zest at the last moment to a bowl of clear soup or place a tiny heap of finely shredded zest on top of cooked vegetables, fish and hot pots. It also works very well in udon or soba noodle ramens. Mix with miso to make an intriguing condiment or use to pep up a dressing for green salad or bowls of edamame. And try with ice-cold gin instead of lemon. You won’t be sorry.

How to showcase it

Make a beautiful yuzu cup from an ugly fruit by removing the flesh, keeping the skin intact, and fill with miso before baking. Yotam Ottolenghi was ahead of the curve with a delicious candied beetroot, lentil and yuzu salad. While other chefs such as Matt Tebbutt suggest including it in sophisticated fish dishes like salmon and scallop tartare with a squid, tuna and ponzu dressing. Anna Hansen’s tea-smoked Alaska salmon pairs soft poached eggs and English muffins with a yuzu hollandaise. Or try doing it the Mary Berry way, pairing baked salmon with tender buttered leeks and yuzu dressing for a wonderfully fresh main meal.

Anything else?

A Japanese tradition is to take a yuzu-yu, yuzu bath, on the evening of the winter solstice to protect against colds, treat the skin, warm the body and relax the mind. This is a hot bath in which several whole fruit wrapped in cheesecloth are floated. Sit in the tub, breathe in the scented air and rub you skin with the softened fruit. Very happy-making, indeed.