How to use Yuzu

The yuzu is a Japanese citrus fruit — often likened to a lemon crossed with a mandarin orange. The flavour is quite distinctive. It is sharp and acidic, with heady blossom notes.

Every year, more than 27,000 tons of yuzu are produced in Japan. Over 80% of this amount takes place in the Shikoku region of Japan, specifically in Kochi prefecture. In Kochi alone, over 50% of Japan’s yuzu (13,500 tons) is produced there. The other 30% of yuzu cultivation in Shikoku takes place in Tokushima and Ehime prefectures. Outside of Shikoku, other prefectures such as Aichi and Shizuoka also grow yuzu, but not nearly to the same level as that of Kochi.

Kochi has the ideal climate for cultivating delicious yuzu fruit because it is covered in lush forest and terrain. Therefore, there are plenty of great areas within Kochi for growing yuzu.

Cookie and baking with Yuzu

If you want to use yuzu in your cooking, try adding the zest of the yuzu peel to add a nice aroma to dishes. For making stir-fries, you can use both the zest and juice of yuzu to add a unique flavor. If you only want the aroma of yuzu to be present in your dishes, try adding the zest to flavor vegetables or steamed fish. If you make pickles, you can also add chopped yuzu to your pickles to make yuzu-flavored pickles. Finally, you can add the zest or the juice (or both!) of yuzu to your salad dressing to elevate the flavor.

For baking with yuzu, you can use it the same way you would use lemons for baking cakes, cookies, and more. Both the zest and juice of yuzu complement desserts nicely, so feel free to use yuzu in your baking to give it a bit of Japanese flare.

Drinks

There are many ways to add yuzu flavor to your daily beverages. For example, try squeezing a few drops of yuzu juice into fresh or carbonated water the same way you would with lemon.

You can also try drinking fresh yuzu juice straight as is in a shot glass (about 30ml) in the morning. By doing this, your body will absorb 3 to 4 times more vitamin C than by drinking lemon juice. Its intense sour flavor may also help you to wake up in the morning! The high amount of vitamin C is especially beneficial in helping to prevent you from catching a cold.

Alcohol/cocktails

The refreshing and tart flavor of yuzu also works extremely well in alcoholic beverages. Yuzu pairs very well with gin, vodka, and rum so it can be used when making cocktails. You can also turn yuzu into a syrup by cooking it with equal parts of sugar and water to use in cocktails. If you’re a fan of beer, add a bit of yuzu juice to it and it will become a yuzu-flavored beer cocktail.

In Japan, there is also a yuzu liqueur called Yuzu shu which is widely available in Izakaya restaurants and bars. This refreshing yuzu liqueur is commonly enjoyed on the rocks or in soda form. Additionally, if you’re familiar with lemon chuhai or sour, you can find many restaurants and bars selling a yuzu version in Japan.