Yuzu

Yuzu (Citrus × junos, from Japanese or ; Template:IPAc-en) is a citrus fruit and plant in the family Rutaceae of Chinese origin. Yuzu has been cultivated mainly in East Asia, though it has also recently been grown in New Zealand, Australia, Spain, Italy, and France.

It is believed to have originated in central China as an F1 hybrid of the (Template:Lang-zh) subspecies of mandarin orange and the ichang papeda.

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 Template:Cvt in diameter but can be as large as a regular grapefruit (up to Template:Cvt, 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.

• Citrus × junos fruits and cross sections
  Citrus × junos fruits and cross sections
• The leaves have large leaf-like petioles.
  The leaves have large leaf-like petioles.
• Yuzu (left) compared to mandarin orange (right)
  Yuzu (left) compared to mandarin orange (right)

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 Template:Cvt where more sensitive citrus would not thrive.

Varieties and similar fruits

In Japan, an ornamental version of yuzu called is also grown for its flowers rather than its fruit.

During the 1970s and 1980s, a sweet variety of yuzu known as the , only present in Japan, became severely endangered. A major attempt has been made to revive this varietal in southern Japan.

Another variety of yuzu in Japan, with knobby skin, is called .Template:Better source needed

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.Template:Fact

Use

East Asia

Culinary use

Japan

File:Yuzuvinegar.jpg

A bottle of yuzu vinegar

Yuzu's domestic production is about 27,000 tons (2016). 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. Yuzu is often combined with honey to make (), a kind of syrup that is used to make yuzu tea (), or as an ingredient in alcoholic drinks such as the yuzu sour (). (also , literally Template:Gloss) is a spicy Japanese sauce made from green or yellow yuzu zest, green or red chili peppers, and salt.

It is used to make liquor (such as , ) and wine. Slivered yuzu rind is used to garnish a savory, salty egg-pudding dish called chawanmushi, as well as miso soup. It is often used along with and . Yuzu is used to make various sweets, including marmalade and cake. It is used extensively in the flavoring of many snack products, such as Doritos.

Korea

In Korean cuisine, yuja is most commonly used to make (, yuja marmalade) and yuja tea. can be made by sugaring peeled, depulped, and thinly sliced yuja, and , yuja tea, can be made by mixing hot water with . (, yuja punch), a variety of (fruit punch), is another common dessert made with yuja. Yuja is also a common ingredient in Korean-style Western food, such as salads.

• Yuja tea and Script error: No such module "Lang".
  Yuja tea and
• Script error: No such module "Lang". yuja salad
  yuja salad
• Yuja bread sold in Yeosu
  Yuja bread sold in Yeosu

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 Tōji, 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 (), but also as (), 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. This is intended to prevent the spread of contagious diseases amongst domestic crops. However, as a result of its introduction to California in 1888, yuzu is cultivated and available for sale in the United States.

See also

• Calamansi
• Dangyuja

External links

• Template:Sister-inline
• Template:Wikispecies inline
• Template:Wiktionary inline