Photography by Marie Viljoen.
Yuzu is the unforgettably aromatic citrus whose zest is a siren call to anyone who loves to eat.
Ripe yuzu rind is deeply fragrant. The thick skin and aromatic pith make the fruit look slightly rumpled in cross-section, as though a clementine has lost weight inside its jacket and wants to shrug it off.
Zesting hard green yuzu for yuzu kosho. Immature, rock-hard green yuzu come to market around early fall, depending on where they are grown.
Yuzu has many large seeds. Spoonfuls of yuja-cheong are stirred into boiling water for therapeutic tea (yuja-cha), where the slices can be eaten after the liquid has all been sipped.
Yuzu ripening on my Brooklyn terrace (the tree overwinters indoors). For gardeners, yuzu trees can be grown in pots or in-ground.
Because commercial citrus production is vulnerable (like any monoculture) to pests and diseases, imported yuzu are not currently allowed into the US. Ripe fruit tend to be available from December.
Yuzu at Whole Foods in 2022. Regional outposts of some supermarkets sometimes stock yuzu for a few exciting weeks in fall, when the fruit is green, and in the winter, when ripe, sometimes for curiously low prices.
Yubeshi being aired outdoors. I like to serve yubeshi very untraditionally with cheeses and membrillo (quince paste).
Hollowed-out yuzu, for yubeshi.
Stuffed with a miso-honey paste.
Wrapped, after steaming.
Curing yubeshi by air-drying them.
My yubeshi after two months.
Yubeshi methods vary, using different types of miso, sweetening, and nuts. Scoop out their seeds and pulp into a strainer set over a bowl. Press to extract as much juice as possible. In a pot, combine the miso, yuzu juice, and honey. Cut squares of double cheese cloth or old (clean!)
Yubeshi