All Topics  
Yuzu

 
Yuzu

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Yuzu
 
 
  Topics Yuzu Topic Home

The yuzu (Citrus ichangensis
Ichang Lemon

The Ichang Lemon is a slow-growing species of the genus Citrus, which has characteristic lemon-scented foliage and flowers. It is native to East Asia and is likely named for the city of Yichang , in China's Hubei province....
 x C. reticulata
Mandarin orange

The Mandarin orange or mandarin is a small citrus tree with fruit resembling the Orange . The fruit is Spheroid, rather than Sphere. Mandarin oranges are usually eaten plain, or in fruit salads....
, formerly C. junos Siebold ex. Tanaka; Japanese
Japanese language

IPA: [n?iho?go] is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is related to the Ryukyuan languages....
 ??, ?, ?? (yuzu); ?? (yuja) in Korean
Korean language

Korean is the official language of North Korea and South Korea. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China....
; from Chinese
Chinese language

Chinese or the Sinitic language is a language family consisting of language mutually unintelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the two branches of Sino-Tibetan languages of languages....
 ??, yòuzi) is a citrus
Citrus

Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the family Rutaceae, originating in tropical and subtropical southeast regions of the world....
 fruit
Fruit

The term fruit has different meanings dependent on context, and the term is not synonymous in food preparation and biology. In botany, which is the scientific study of plants, fruits are the ripened Ovary of flowering plants....
 originating in East Asia
East Asia

East Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either Geography or cultural terms. Geography and geopolitically, it covers about 12,000,000 km?, or about 28 percent of the Asian continent, about 15 percent bigger than the area of Europe, though some categorize Tibet, Xinjiang, and Mongolia as Central Asia....
. It is believed to be a hybrid of sour mandarin and Ichang papeda
Ichang Lemon

The Ichang Lemon is a slow-growing species of the genus Citrus, which has characteristic lemon-scented foliage and flowers. It is native to East Asia and is likely named for the city of Yichang , in China's Hubei province....
. The fruit looks a bit like a very small grapefruit
Grapefruit

The grapefruit is a subtropics citrus tree grown for its bitter fruit which was originally named the "forbidden fruit" of Barbados.These evergreen trees are usually found at around 5-6 m tall, although they can reach 13-15 m ....
 with an uneven skin, and can be either yellow or green depending on the degree of ripeness. Yuzu typically range between 5.5 and 7.5 cm in diameter, but can be as large as a grapefruit (up to 10 cm or larger).

The fruit originated in China
China

China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
, and also grows wild in central China and Tibet
Tibet

Tibet is a Tibetan Plateau in Asia, north of the Himalayas, and the home to the indigenous Tibetan people and its related ethnic groups. With an average elevation of 4,900 metres , it is the highest region on Earth and has in recent decades increasingly been referred to as the "Roof of the World"....
.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Yuzu'
Start a new discussion about 'Yuzu'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


The yuzu (Citrus ichangensis
Ichang Lemon

The Ichang Lemon is a slow-growing species of the genus Citrus, which has characteristic lemon-scented foliage and flowers. It is native to East Asia and is likely named for the city of Yichang , in China's Hubei province....
 x C. reticulata
Mandarin orange

The Mandarin orange or mandarin is a small citrus tree with fruit resembling the Orange . The fruit is Spheroid, rather than Sphere. Mandarin oranges are usually eaten plain, or in fruit salads....
, formerly C. junos Siebold ex. Tanaka; Japanese
Japanese language

IPA: [n?iho?go] is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is related to the Ryukyuan languages....
 ??, ?, ?? (yuzu); ?? (yuja) in Korean
Korean language

Korean is the official language of North Korea and South Korea. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China....
; from Chinese
Chinese language

Chinese or the Sinitic language is a language family consisting of language mutually unintelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the two branches of Sino-Tibetan languages of languages....
 ??, yòuzi) is a citrus
Citrus

Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the family Rutaceae, originating in tropical and subtropical southeast regions of the world....
 fruit
Fruit

The term fruit has different meanings dependent on context, and the term is not synonymous in food preparation and biology. In botany, which is the scientific study of plants, fruits are the ripened Ovary of flowering plants....
 originating in East Asia
East Asia

East Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either Geography or cultural terms. Geography and geopolitically, it covers about 12,000,000 km?, or about 28 percent of the Asian continent, about 15 percent bigger than the area of Europe, though some categorize Tibet, Xinjiang, and Mongolia as Central Asia....
. It is believed to be a hybrid of sour mandarin and Ichang papeda
Ichang Lemon

The Ichang Lemon is a slow-growing species of the genus Citrus, which has characteristic lemon-scented foliage and flowers. It is native to East Asia and is likely named for the city of Yichang , in China's Hubei province....
. The fruit looks a bit like a very small grapefruit
Grapefruit

The grapefruit is a subtropics citrus tree grown for its bitter fruit which was originally named the "forbidden fruit" of Barbados.These evergreen trees are usually found at around 5-6 m tall, although they can reach 13-15 m ....
 with an uneven skin, and can be either yellow or green depending on the degree of ripeness. Yuzu typically range between 5.5 and 7.5 cm in diameter, but can be as large as a grapefruit (up to 10 cm or larger).

The fruit originated in China
China

China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
, and also grows wild in central China and Tibet
Tibet

Tibet is a Tibetan Plateau in Asia, north of the Himalayas, and the home to the indigenous Tibetan people and its related ethnic groups. With an average elevation of 4,900 metres , it is the highest region on Earth and has in recent decades increasingly been referred to as the "Roof of the World"....
. It was introduced to Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
 and Korea
Korea

Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries, a civilization, and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia....
 during the Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty

The Tang Dynasty was an Dynasties in Chinese history preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire....
 and it is in these nations that it is cultivated most widely . Confusingly, in modern Chinese, the name ?? refers to the pomelo
Pomelo

The pomelo, , is a citrus fruit native to South East Asia. It is usually pale green to yellow when ripe, with sweet white flesh and very thick spongy rind....
, while the yuzu is known as ??.

It is unusual among citrus fruits in being relatively frost-hardy, due to its cold-hardy C. ichangensis
Ichang Lemon

The Ichang Lemon is a slow-growing species of the genus Citrus, which has characteristic lemon-scented foliage and flowers. It is native to East Asia and is likely named for the city of Yichang , in China's Hubei province....
 ancestry, and can be grown in regions with winters as low as -5°C where more sensitive citrus would not thrive. In Japan, an ornamental version of yuzu called "flower yuzu" is also grown for its flowers rather than its fruit.

A variety of yuzu with knobby skin is called shishi yuzu (literally "lion yuzu").

Use in Japanese cuisine

Yuzu
The yuzu's flavor is tart, closely resembling that of the grapefruit, with overtones of Mandarin orange
Mandarin orange

The Mandarin orange or mandarin is a small citrus tree with fruit resembling the Orange . The fruit is Spheroid, rather than Sphere. Mandarin oranges are usually eaten plain, or in fruit salads....
. It is rarely eaten as a fruit, though in the Japanese cuisine
Japanese cuisine

Japanese cuisine has developed over the centuries as a result of many political and social changes. The cuisine eventually changed with the advent of the Medieval age which ushered in a shedding of elitism with the age of Shogun rule....
 its aromatic zest
Zest (ingredient)

Zest is the outer, colorful skin of citrus, known botanically as the exocarp. It is often used to add flavor to foods....
 (outer rind) is used to garnish some dishes, and its juice is commonly used as a seasoning, somewhat like the way the lemon
Lemon

The lemon is the common name for Citrus limon. The reproductive tissue surrounds the seed of the angiosperm lemon tree. The lemon is used for culinary and nonculinary purposes throughout the world....
 is used in other cuisines. It is an integral ingredient (along with sudachi
Sudachi

Sudachi is a small, round, green citrus fruit that is relatively unknown outside Japan, where it is used alongside another citrus fruit, the yuzu and the kabosu....
, daidai
Daidai

The daidai , is an Asian variety of bitter orange. The name daidai, originally meaning several generations, originates from the fruit staying on the tree for several years if not picked....
, and other similar fruits) in the citrus-based sauce ponzu
Ponzu

, sometimes spelled ponju or ponsu, is a citrus-based sauce commonly used in Japanese cuisine. It is very tart in flavor, with a thin, watery consistency and a light yellow color....
, and yuzu vinegar
Vinegar

Vinegar is an acidic liquid processed from the fermentation of ethanol in a process that yields its key ingredient, acetic acid . It also may come in a diluted form....
 is also produced. Yuzu may be used to make marmalade
Marmalade

Marmalade is a fruit fruit preserves usually made of citrus fruits. British-style marmalade is sweet marmalade with a bitter tang made from fruit, sugar, water, zest and a gelling agent....
 or as an ingredient in cake
Cake

Cake is a form of food that is usually sweet and often Baking. Cakes normally combine some kind of flour, a sweetener , a binding agent , fats , a liquid , flavoring and some form of leavening agent , though many cakes lack these ingredients and instead rely on air bubbles in the dough to expand and cause the cake to rise....
s. It is also used to make liquor (such as yuzukomachi, ????) and wine. Yuzu kosho (also yuzukosho, literally "yuzu and pepper"), is a spicy Japanese sauce made from green or yellow yuzu zest, green or red chile peppers, and salt. Slivered yuzu rind is also used to garnish a savory, salty egg-pudding dish called chawanmushi
Chawanmushi

Chawanmushi is an egg custard dish found in Japan that uses the seeds of ginkgo. Unlike many other custards, it is usually eaten as an appetizer....
, as well as miso soup
Miso soup

is a traditional Japanese cuisine soup consisting of a Stock called "dashi" into which is mixed softened miso paste. Although the suspension of miso paste into dashi is the only characteristic that actually defines miso soup, many other ingredients are added depending on regional and seasonal recipes, and personal preference....
.

Yuzu is also known for its characteristically strong aroma, and the oil from its skin is marketed as a fragrance. In Japan, bathing
Bathing

Bathing is the immersion of the body in a fluid, usually water or an aqueous solution. It may be practiced for hygiene, religion or therapy purposes or as a recreational activity....
 with yuzu on Toji
Winter solstice

Winter solstice may refer to:* Winter solstice* Winter Solstice *...
 (the winter solstice) is a popular custom. The whole fruits are floated in the hot water of the bath (sometimes enclosed in a cloth bag), releasing their aroma.

It is often used alongside with sudachi
Sudachi

Sudachi is a small, round, green citrus fruit that is relatively unknown outside Japan, where it is used alongside another citrus fruit, the yuzu and the kabosu....
 and kabosu
Kabosu

is a juicy green citrus fruit closely related to the yuzu with the sharpness of lemon, used instead of vinegar in some Japanese dishes. It grows on a flowering plant with sharp thorns, and the fruit is harvested when still green but ripens to yellow....
.

Use in Korean cuisine

In Korean cuisine, yuzu (called yuja in Korean) is used, thinly sliced and combined with sugar and honey, to make a thick, marmalade
Marmalade

Marmalade is a fruit fruit preserves usually made of citrus fruits. British-style marmalade is sweet marmalade with a bitter tang made from fruit, sugar, water, zest and a gelling agent....
-like syrup containing pieces of the chopped rind and fruit. A tablespoon of this syrup (which can either be made at home or purchased in glass jars) stirred into a cup of hot water makes a beverage called yujacha
Yujacha

Yujacha is a Korean tea made from thinly sliced yuzu with its peel and combined with honey or sugar. A tablespoon of yucheong stirred into a cup of usually hot water makes a beverage....
 (???; also spelled yujacha or yuja-cha, cha meaning "tea" in Korean), or, which is used as a herbal remedy for the common cold and similar winter illnesses.

It is also used to make yuja hwachae
Yuja hwachae

Yuja hwachae is a variety of hwachae, Korean beverage punch made with finely shredded yuzu , bae and honey or sugar. In Korea, yuja are largely cultivated in the southern part of the Korean peninsula such as Goheung and Wando, Geoje, and Namhae....
, a variety of traditional fruit punch.

Use in Western cuisines

Beginning in the early 21st century, yuzu has been increasingly used by chefs in the United States and other Western nations, achieving notice in a 2003 article in The New York Times
The New York Times

The New York Times is an American daily newspaper published in New York City. The largest metropolitan newspaper in the United States, "The Gray Lady"?named for its staid appearance and style?is regarded as a national newspaper of record....
. Yuzu has also been used in beer, in the Dutch beer called iKi
Iki

"IKI" can stand for:* The Internationales Kulturinstitut in Vienna.* A loosely organized group of early Finland internet activism, Internet-k?ytt?j?t ikuisesti ....
, brewed in Haarlem
Haarlem

, in the past usually 'Harlem' in English, is a city in the Netherlands. It is also the Capital of the province of North Holland, the northern half of Holland, which at one time was one of the most powerful of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic....
, Netherlands
Netherlands

The Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is located in North-West Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east....
.

Other uses

The body of the taepyeongso
Taepyeongso

The taepyeongso is a Korean double reed wind instrument in the shawm or oboe family. It generally has a conical wooden body made from Yuzu , daechu , or yellow mulberry wood, with a metal mouthpiece and cup-shaped metal bell, although some are made entirely of metal....
, a Korean traditional oboe, is often made from yuzu wood.

See also


  • Papeda


External links

  • , by Janet Fletcher, from San Francisco Chronicle, Wednesday, May 31, 2006
  • , by Sonia Reyes, from Brandweek, June 26, 2006


Listening

  • , from National Public Radio Weekend Edition Sunday, January 28, 2007