Author Topic: How to use Yuzu (and other culinary citrus varieties)  (Read 1984 times)

SoCal2warm

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How to use Yuzu (and other culinary citrus varieties)
« on: February 02, 2019, 12:48:36 AM »
This topic came up in another thread, and I'd like to discuss how to use Yuzu.
First I want to say Yuzu is a wonderful unique citrus, with a unique flavor. But those who do not know how to properly use Yuzu may not be able to appreciate it.

I never found a good use for yuzu & cut both my trees down.
And you never bothered to do any research to see how Yuzu fruit are used?
Sure I did, and still couldn't find a use for them. I'm not going to float them in the bath & as far as a good tasting citrus, it isn't.

Yuzu is definitely not a fruit for direct out of hand eating.

I slice up a Yuzu, remove all the seeds (there's a lot of them but it's not difficult because the seeds are so big), then chop up the fruits further and cook them into a citrus marmalade sauce to spread over fish. With Yuzu there's no need to remove the rinds, indeed there wouldn't be that much useable part of the fruit left if you did so. The rinds have a lot of flavor, and are a lot more tender, less bitter, and more edible than lemon or orange rinds would be.
This isn't unusual. Sometimes mandarin peels and even orange peels are used in stir fries in Chinese cuisine, mostly to impart flavor but it won't hurt if you eat some of it. However the rinds of Yuzu are much more edible.
Not quite like the kumquats but I would say they are only a little less tender than mandarinquats.
I actually enjoy taking a few table out of the peel of a fresh Yuzu.

Yuzu is most typically used for flavoring. It's really in good in Japanese-style ponzu sauces for dipping.
Typically the entire fruits are crushed, with the juice and essential oils from the rind collected. (It would probably be even better flavor wise to remove the seeds first before crushing but that would add more work)
There's not a huge amount of juice inside a Yuzu, and this is in large part because there are so many large seeds.

Yuzu kosho is great on egg rolls or omelettes. Yuzu is also good in salad dressings.

Also good for soba (buckwheat) noodles or Japanese noodle bowls with fish.

Lemon juice can substitute for Yuzu in most recipes but the flavor is just not the same.

Also there are some great recipes for candied Yuzu peel, which are much like candied citron.
You could even bake these into a cake, and I have a great tasting recipe for Yuzu blueberry muffins.

If you're still not sold on Yuzu, you might see this video for inspiration:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdUq2AVLEn8

I'm sure Yuzu has (or could have) all sorts of other culinary uses as well.



SoCal2warm

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Re: How to use Yuzu (and other culinary citrus varieties)
« Reply #1 on: February 02, 2019, 12:51:19 AM »
video not working, here's another version, not as good quality though: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLMucof6pog
Trails to Tsukiji: Yuzu

Sudachi is another one similar to Yuzu but is usually picked while still green for best flavor.

Another advantage, these citrus varieties are quite hardy and can easily survive in marginal climates where other citrus do not do so well.
(Yuzu can usually grow in climate zone 8 , so could be grown in places like Louisiana or South Carolina without any worry)
« Last Edit: February 02, 2019, 12:58:15 AM by SoCal2warm »

PDXIan

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Re: How to use Yuzu (and other culinary citrus varieties)
« Reply #2 on: February 02, 2019, 12:14:41 PM »
The Yuzu Shio Ramen at Afuri is amazing. They have many other dishes using Yuzu 
https://afuri.us/#lunch-menu


Oolie

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Re: How to use Yuzu (and other culinary citrus varieties)
« Reply #3 on: February 04, 2019, 02:48:24 PM »
What I don't understand is why anyone would bother growing something they had no idea how to use.

If you are not interested in Japanese cuisine, why would you bother growing Yuzu in the first place?

Grow something you're truly interested in experiencing at it's best, that's my advice.

NHK has finally started having its videos taken down, but they are available from time to time on their web site.

TTT is definitely a show for those with a Nippon fixation.

Interestingly Japan still thinks the Irwin is a good mango, go figure.

SoCal2warm

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Re: How to use Yuzu (and other culinary citrus varieties)
« Reply #4 on: February 04, 2019, 06:00:59 PM »
What I don't understand is why anyone would bother growing something they had no idea how to use.

If you are not interested in Japanese cuisine, why would you bother growing Yuzu in the first place?
Yuzu is a surprisingly hardy citrus variety.
So in some cases it's more a matter of even being able to grow any citrus outside, and then the question of what can I do with this?

Faldon

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Re: How to use Yuzu (and other culinary citrus varieties)
« Reply #5 on: February 05, 2019, 04:17:27 AM »
Good question
Only one use.
Yuza is using tea like lemon tea during winter season.








Sylvain

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Re: How to use Yuzu (and other culinary citrus varieties)
« Reply #6 on: February 05, 2019, 06:20:23 AM »
I tested:
- in the bath: no interest.
- in yuzucello: great!
- in marmalade: good.
- in yuzettes (candied peel): very good.
- in juice (fresh and frozen): very disappointing.
- in curd: fabulous!
- grounded dried peel as spice: no interest.

Radoslav

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Re: How to use Yuzu (and other culinary citrus varieties)
« Reply #7 on: February 05, 2019, 09:37:33 AM »
I am using yuzu (yuzu no. 1-754, selection from former USSR) as lemon substitute, juice has great taste, mix of lemon and mandarin.
I also found Hana Yuzu (originally sold as sudachi by Eisenhut) very useful, taste is not great, just average lemon, but fruits are small, and it perfectly fits to combination, one cup of tea/ one fruit, no need to store cutted fruit like it is necessary in case of common lemons.

SoCal2warm

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Re: How to use Yuzu (and other culinary citrus varieties)
« Reply #8 on: February 05, 2019, 01:17:35 PM »
Yuza is using tea like lemon tea during winter season.
Yes, a little bit confusingly it is usually translated from Korean to English as "citron".

Yuzu is the Japanese name.
In fact originally "yuzu" [youzi] in Chinese referred to pomelo, but the Japanese borrowed this word and applied it to the yuzu fruit because it was sour like Chinese pomelo. I guess real citrons didn't do very well farther north (they're not very hardy).
The Chinese simply referred to yuzu as xiang cheng, which translates as "fragrant orange", which isn't really all that descriptive or specific.

Yuzu has a lot of pectin in it so can make a gelatinous tea (almost like the consistency of marmalade).
I have a Chinese friend who sometimes drinks this type of tea, although in China it's usually made from citron.
(It's a very aquired Chinese taste, I can't imagine this appealing to Americans)
« Last Edit: February 05, 2019, 01:23:12 PM by SoCal2warm »