Yuzu ( Citrus × junos, from Japanese 柚子 or ユズ; ) is a citrus fruit and plant in the family Rutaceae of Chinese origin.[ Japan External Trade Organization (日本貿易振興機構 JETRO ジェトロ) ]
It is believed to have originated in central China as an F1 hybrid of the mangshanyeju (t=莽山野橘) subspecies of mandarin orange and the ichang papeda.[ and Supplement]
Description
This fruit resembles a yellow
clementine with uneven skin and can be either yellow or green depending on the degree of ripeness.
Yuzu fruits, which are very aromatic, typically range between in diameter but can be as large as a regular grapefruit (up to , or larger).
Yuzu forms an upright shrub or small tree, which commonly has many large thorns. Leaves are notable for a large, leaf-like petiole, resembling those of the related makrut lime and ichang papeda, and are heavily scented.
Yuzu closely resembles sudachi ( Citrus sudachi, a Japanese citrus from Tokushima Prefecture, a yuzu–mandarin orange cross) in many regards, though, unlike the sudachi, yuzu eventually ripen to an orange colour and there are subtle differences between the flavours of the fruit.
Cultivation
The yuzu originated and grew wild in Tibet and central China. It was introduced to Japan and Korea during the
Tang dynasty and is still cultivated there.
It grows slowly, generally requiring ten years to fruit. To shorten the duration to fruiting, it may be grafted onto karatachi (
P. trifoliata). It is unusual among citrus plants in being relatively frost-hardy, due to its cold-hardy Ichang papeda ancestry, and can be grown in regions with winters as low as where more sensitive citrus would not thrive.
Varieties and similar fruits
In Japan, an ornamental version of yuzu called "flower yuzu" is also grown for its flowers rather than its fruit. A sweet variety of yuzu known as the yuko, only present in Japan, became severely endangered during the 1970s and 1980s; a major attempt has been made to revive this varietal in southern Japan.
Another variety of yuzu in Japan, with knobby skin, is called literally "lion yuzu".
Dangyuja, a Korean citrus fruit from Jeju Island, is often considered a type of yuzu due to its similar shape and flavor, but it is genetically a variety of pomelo.
Use
East Asia
Culinary use
Japan
Yuzu's domestic production is about 27,000
(2016).
[ Japan External Trade Organization (日本貿易振興機構 JETRO ジェトロ) Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (農林水産省) 2016 Survey] Though rarely eaten as a fruit, yuzu is a common ingredient in
Japanese cuisine, where the aromatic zest (outer rind) and the juice are used much in the same way that lemons are used in other cuisines.
The yuzu's flavor is tart and fragrant, closely resembling that of the grapefruit, with overtones of
mandarin orange.
It is an integral ingredient (along with sudachi, daidai, and other similar citrus fruits) in the citrus-based sauce ponzu, and yuzu vinegar is also produced.
It is used to make liquor (such as yuzukomachi, 柚子小町) and wine.
Korea
In
Korean cuisine, yuja is most commonly used to make
yuja-cheong (유자청, yuja marmalade) and
yuja tea. Yuja-cheong can be made by
sugaring peeled, depulped, and thinly sliced yuja, and yuja-cha, yuja tea, can be made by mixing hot water with yuja-cheong.
(유자화채, yuja punch), a variety of
hwachae (fruit punch), is another common dessert made with yuja. Yuja is also a common ingredient in
Fusion cuisine, such as salads.
Other uses
Yuzu baths
Yuzu is also known for its characteristically strong aroma, and the oil from its skin is marketed as a fragrance. In Japan, bathing with yuzu on
Winter solstice, the
winter solstice, is a custom that dates to at least the early 18th century.
Whole yuzu fruits are floated in the hot water of the bath, sometimes enclosed in a cloth bag, releasing their aroma.
The fruit may also be cut in half, allowing the citrus juice to mingle with the bathwater. The yuzu bath, known commonly as yuzu yu (柚子湯), but also as yuzu buro (柚子風呂), is said to guard against colds, treat the roughness of skin, warm the body, and relax the mind.
Use as wood
The body of the
taepyeongso, a Korean traditional oboe, close to the Chinese
suona or the
zurna, is often made from
jujube,
mulberry, or yuzu wood.
Elsewhere
As of 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.
In the United States, the Department of Agriculture has a ban on the import of fresh yuzu (alongside most citrus plants) from abroad, including both the fruit and the trees.
See also
External links
