Yuzu

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This article is about the fruit. For other uses of the term, see Yuzu (disambiguation)

Yuzu

Yuzu branch with ripe fruit

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Subclass:	Rosidae
Order:	Sapindales
Family:	Rutaceae
Genus:	Citrus
Species:	C. ichangensis x C. reticulata var. austera

Binomial name

Citrus ichangensis x Citrus reticulata var. austera

The yuzu (Citrus ichangensis x C. reticulata, formerly C. junos Siebold ex. Tanaka; Japanese ユズ, 柚, 柚子 (yuzu); 유자 (yuja) in Korean; from Chinese 柚子, yòu zi) is a citrus fruit native to East Asia. It is believed to be a hybrid of sour mandarin and Ichang papeda. The fruit looks a bit like a very small grapefruit 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 (where it is cultivated on a small scale), and also grows wild in central China and Tibet. It was introduced to Japan and Korea during the Tang Dynasty and it is in these nations that it is cultivated most widely.

It is unusual among citrus fruits in being relatively frost-hardy, due to its cold-hardy C. ichangensis 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 hana yuzu (花ゆず, 花柚子, hana yuzu^?) "flower yuzu" is also grown for its flowers rather than its fruit.

The yuzu's flavor is tart, closely resembling that of the grapefruit, with overtones of Mandarin orange. It is rarely eaten as a fruit, though in the Japanese and Korean cuisines its aromatic zest (outer rind) is used to garnish some dishes, and its juice is commonly used as a seasoning, somewhat like the way the lemon is used in other cuisines. It is an integral ingredient (along with sudachi, daidai, and other similar fruits) in the citrus-based sauce ponzu. Yuzu may be used to make marmalade or as an ingredient in cakes. It is also used to make liquor (such as yuzukomachi, 柚子小町) and wine.[1][2] 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 custard-like dessert called chawan mushi, as well as miso soup.[3]

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 Toji (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.

The fruit is also used, thinly sliced and combined with sugar and honey, to make a thick, marmalade-like syrup containing pieces of the chopped rind. 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 yuja cha^photo (유자차; also spelled yujacha or yuja-cha) in Korean, or yuzu cha (in Japanese) (cha meaning "tea"), which is used as a herbal remedy for the common cold and similar winter illnesses. Some Japanese drink yuzu with hot water.

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

The sudachi, another Japanese citrus fruit, may be a related species.

The body of the taepyeongso, a Korean traditional oboe, is often made from yuzu wood.

[edit] References

Karp, David. "Secrets Behind Many Chefs' Not-So-Secret Ingredient." The New York Times, December 3, 2003, Dining In, Dining Out/Style Desk, Section F, p. 12.