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What the heck is ... yuzu?
 What
makes Yuzu seem so exotic? Is it the bright yellow color? Or is it the
name? – yoo-zoo, Or is it the mysterious Oriental origins? Or is
it the unexpected effect when you bite into one, like sticking your face
into a buzz-saw. Who knows, but, one thing is for sure; Yuzu is exotic,
sour/bitter, refreshing, weird, and wonderfully aromatic.
Yuzu (citrus aurantium, citrus junos) is a rare hybrid citrus fruit of
mysterious provenance, native to China and Tibet, but cultivated more
so in Japan. Its aroma and flavor offer a rare and complex blend of lime,
lemon, grapefruit and mandarin orange. The Yuzu fruit is quite small,
about the size of a chicken egg or baseball. It has a thick bumpy skin,
not very much juice, and the interior is mostly seeds. Because of its
scarcity, the yuzu fetches very high prices, $8 to $20 per pound wholesale,
and up to twice that at retail.
Yuzu is never eaten as a fresh fruit. (would you pay $20 a pound to eat
something that screws up your face like a twisty-tye?) Yuzu has however,
a very intense, fresh and tangy flavor, and is considered one of the most
fragrant of all citrus fruits. Like bitter lemon, it is valued mostly
for its rind, which has a pleasant tart and bitter flavor. Most culinary
uses of Yuzu involve only a few drops of its juice and the zest of its
peel as a flavoring agent. Because of its strong, pleasing, citrus scent,
(a cut Yuzu can be smelled all over the room) oils are extracted from
its peel and used both in cooking and as a perfume in cosmetics, lotions,
and soaps. Here at Tapino, this magic elixir of juice and zest is added
to the vinaigrette we serve with our “Charred Rare Ahi Tuna Tataki”
small plate. Why? You ask? Because of it’s tart taste, wonderfully
intense aroma, and so we can make you say YOOOOO-zooooo when you ask about it! If you can’t
have fun with your food, why eat?
On the outside, it looks like a miniature grapefruit with a pebbly, lumpy
skin. On the inside it looks like a pile of gravel, and grows on a tree
that reaches about 16-25ft in height. The Yuzu is one of the hardiest
of citrus fruits, reportedly surviving temperatures down to 10F. Fruits
usually ripen towards the end of Fall, earlier than many other citrus.
The Yuzu tree originated in China and was brought into Japan during the
Nara Period (8th century). It first gained popularity with the noble classes
in the Kansai region, and later spread to other warm regions around Japan.
In summer, small, fragrant, white blossoms cover its branches, temporarily
disguising the sharp thorns that often make picking yuzu fruits a punishing
task.
To protect U.S. citrus growers from diseases prevalent in Asian groves,
fresh yuzu products cannot legally be imported into the United States.
But a very limited supply of yuzu is grown and sold domestically. Yuzu
trees were unofficially introduced into California before 1888, grown
in home gardens by Japanese-American aficionados. About 15 years ago,
enterprising farmers started raising yuzu commercially, some perhaps illicitly,
to fulfill a demand from chefs who had discovered the joys of Yuzu during
foreign travel.
In 1998, aware of the demand for yuzu trees and fruit, the director of
California’s Citrus Protection Program, which maintains clean sources
of budwood (for grafting) for growers, released certified, disease-free Yuzu budwood to nurseries. In the last five years, specialty citrus growers
in the San Joaquin Valley have planted several hundred yuzu trees, and
some are now starting to bear fruit; one farm plans to put in another
20 acres this spring. As these new, legal, commercial sources develop,
sky-high yuzu prices may well come back to earth.
Typically, chefs use yuzu to accompany fish. Often, Japanese cuisine will
feature Yuzu juice lightly spritzed over sushi, or Yuzu rind grated ever-so-gently
onto the surface of mizo soup. Shreds or slivers of its rind are used
to accent cooked vegetables, poached fish and noodles. Its zest and juice
enhance soy sauces, miso toppings, ponzu sauces and vinegars. Yuzu is
also considered to be quite sensual in Japan. On the longest night of
winter,  which
is usually Dec. 21, countless yuzu fruits are found swimming about in
Japan’s classical hot-bath houses! This is traditionally the night
that people soak in a yuzu-buro (yuzu bath), since the aromatic steam
is believed to protect the bather from illness and colds.
Fresh yuzu is available intermittently, in season, here in the US, at
Japanese markets. These same markets may offer preserved Yuzu products
year round such as yuzu juice, salted and unsalted; frozen fruit; dried
peel; and kosho, a paste of yuzu rind macerated with hot peppers and salt.
You are unlikly to find Yuzu at your neighborhood supermarket.
Some chefs are beginning to experiment with using Yuzu to replace lemon
or lime flavorings in some of the more traditional American dishes. Things
like yuzu meringue tarts as well as pineapple-yuzu sorbet. Who knows,
maybe if the price comes down, and Chef James gets hyped, Tapino will
some day feature Yuzu Marguaritas? Yuzu ice cream? Yuzu pound cake? Yuzu
curd on scones? Yuzu-ade? Maybe even Yuzu meringue pie a’la mode?
… Nah …. Probably not.
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