The market · Fruit · East Asia

Yuzu

A knobbly East Asian citrus, grown more for its perfumed zest than for its scant, sour juice.

citrusy · floral · fragrant

What to do with it

Ibu Sari's Beef rendangYuzu would cut through its richnessAna Etxarri's Pil pilYuzu would cut through its richnessTolu Adeyemi's SuyaYuzu would cut through its richnessTolu Adeyemi's Rendang, the Lagos wayYuzu would cut through its richness

Kinds

Green yuzu
Unripe, in late summer — sharper; the base of green yuzu kosho.
Yellow yuzu
Ripe, in winter — the most fragrant.

If you can't find it

Japanese grocers, as bottled juice; fresh in winter, rarely.

  1. 1Bottled yuzu juice
    The same
    You lose the zest's perfume.
  2. 2Lemon
    Two parts lemon to one of grapefruit, with a little of both zests
    You lose yuzu's floral, almost mandarin top note.

Goes with

soy saucedashihoneywhite fish

Knowing it

Where to buy
Fresh fruit is rare and dear outside East Asia. Bottled juice and yuzu kosho from Japanese grocers; Korean yuja-cha is a yuzu marmalade for tea.
Worth knowing
A thin strip of zest in a clear soup is enough.

More fruit, in season with it

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