Fresh Yuzu and Sudachi
What golf ball-sized Japanese fruits are some of the hottest items on the culinary scene today?
The answers are the flavorful and delicious yuzu and sudachi.
Chefs all over America are discovering the tiny Japanese citrus yuzu and sudachi. Although previously unfamiliar to most people outside of Japan, these fruits are making a big impact on the American culinary scene.
Yuzu and sudachi are not eaten like oranges. Rather, great chefs know that the flavors of the juice and the zest pair extremely well with seafood, salads, desserts, and cocktails.
Yuzu has a taste somewhere between grapefruit and mandarin orange. The juice is excellent when used as a light dressing, as in ponzu, or to create a tangy sauce for pan-seared or grilled seafood. The zest can be used as a flavorful garnish on cold soba noodles, or for a different twist in martinis.
Sudachi is a similar fruit, used in much the same way as yuzu. However, it has more of a lemon taste and is slightly bitter. This provides for a variation on the more sweet flavor of yuzu. Sudachi zest is delightful as well, especially in drinks. We even carry a sudachi-flavored soju from Japan.
Both fruit are available throughout the fall and even in the winter. Although they're not the most inexpensive citrus around, they're sure to delight your senses for those special dishes.
Try this recipe for an easy yuzu salad dressing:
Yuzu Dressing
Serves 2
- 2 tbsp Freshly squeezed yuzu juice
- 2 tbsp Kikkoman or good Japanese soy sauce
- 1 tsp Mirin (Sweet Cooking Wine)
- 4 tbsp Vegetable Oil
As with any vinaigrette, combine all the ingredients except the oil, and then drizzle the oil in, while whisking, to properly incorporate.
Here are other excellent links for yuzu recipes: