NOURISHING ESSENTIALS (October 2022) - Yuzu: Japan’s Citrus Treasure (柚子)

CRUNCHY PICKLED YUZU DAIKON
(ぱりぱり大根ゆず風味)
Producer: Maruai Foods
Prefecture: Tokyo

Daikon and carrots are the base for these refreshing and crunchy (known by the Japanese onomatopoeia “pari pari”) tsukemono, or pickles. And no meal in Japan is complete without a side of tsukemono! The addition of both yuzu peel and yuzu juice enhances the natural tart, sweet citrus flavors while the pickling ingredients add a mellow acidity and subtle umami. 

Maruai Foods is committed to making products grown domestically in Japan without any additives. They believe in the importance of food as the starting point to nurture the body and mind, and hope their foods will be the centerpiece of “food memories” that make you smile!

Ingredients: Dried daikon (Japanese radish), carrot, yuzu peel, pickling ingredients [soy sauce, malt syrup, sugar, rice fermentation seasoning, yuzu juice, rice vinegar, salt, yeast extract, ume (Japanese plum) vinegar] (includes wheat and soybeans)
Suggested uses: Enjoy as is as a side dish or in a bento. We recommend serving it chilled. 
Storage: Refrigerate after opening and use as soon as possible.

YUZU SUSHI VINEGAR
(柚子 寿司召し酢)
Producer: Kokonoesaika
Prefecture: Wakayama

Sushi vinegar is typically made with rice vinegar seasoned with sugar and salt which is then combined with rice to make sushi rice. This rare sushi vinegar also includes yuzu peels, which add refreshing citrus accents, and is used by top chefs at sushi restaurants and traditional Japanese-style restaurants.

Kokonoesaika, one of the leading vinegar breweries in Kishu, has been brewing traditional sake and vinegar in Wakayama Prefecture for over 100 years andis committed to "bringing better acidity to the table". Usinga time-consuming and labor-intensive method that has been passed down through generations, they ferment and maturecarefully grown rice for more than three years in some of the largest wooden vats in Japanto makesake lees (a by-product of making sake), without the use of koji (the fermenting organism that is commonly used to make sake). It’s this sake lees, along with the acetic acid bacteria living in their large wooden vats, that produces the deep richness and mild acidity unique to their vinegar. To this, they add beet sugar and yuzu peel, purchased directly from local farmers whose produce is at its best that year.

Ingredients: Rice vinegar (domestic), beet sugar, yuzu peel, salt
Suggested uses: Extremely versatile, in addition to making sushi rice (mix 40-50ml with 1 cup of freshly cooked rice), it can be used as a sauce for meat, fish, vegetables and even desserts! Mix with oil, salt and pepper to make a refreshing salad dressing, add just a dash to yogurt or ice cream, or make your own citrus tartar sauce using theSushi Vinegar Tartar Sauce recipe provided.
Storage: Refrigerate after opening.

YUZU SALT CANDY
(柚子塩飴)
Producer: Takahashi Shoten
Prefecture: Fukuoka

This delightful yuzu salt candy has a mild, natural sweetness and is the perfect balance of sweet, citrus and salt flavors.

Takahashi Shoten began as a sake brewery but turned their attention to creating pickles using sake lees in 1946, guided by the twelfth generation of the founding family. Since then, Takahashi Shoten has continued to create new local products while preserving the techniques handed down through their family.

Ingredients: Sugar (domestic), starch syrup, maltose, yuzu, salt
Suggested uses: Enjoy as is. Pairs well with a cup of tea from our Japanese Green & Specialty Teas: “Ryu” Care Package. 

YUZU NOODLE SAUCE
(まぜ麺のたれ)
Producer: Choko Shoyu
Prefecture: Nagasaki

This light, citrus “mazeru mentsuyu” (mixed noodle sauce) is made from Choko’s signature soy sauce combined with yuzu juice from Kochi Prefecture and is the perfect dressing for making a refreshing cold noodle salad. 

Choko was established in 1941 by 29 local soy sauce producers as the first soy sauce cooperative in the industry. The group has carefully preserved traditional brewing techniques of soy sauce and miso with a commitment to safety, quality and taste, as well as the United Nations’ SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals). They are also a member of the Good Food Making Association - an organization that is reexamining food in pursuit of health and deliciousness in daily life. All products must adhere to 4 principles of good food (safety, taste, price and transparency) and good food production (quality raw materials, clean factories, technology and a conscientious management that values the "craftsman's heart" and the global environment over profit). They believe that those who produce and sell food have a responsibility to preserve traditional, seasonal flavors while protecting the environment. 

Ingredients: Soy sauce (domestic), sugar, onion, yuzu juice, vinegar, salt, starch, yeast extract, seafood extract (includes wheat and soybeans)
Suggested uses: Boil one serving of udon, somen or pasta, then drain under cold water to cool. Mix in a bowl with one package of the Yuzu Noodle Sauce and add toppings such as lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, steamed chicken, corn, etc. if desired. Try it in ourWestern-Style Yuzu Soba Salad recipe provided.

SPICY “DAREYAME” YUZU KOSHO COOKIES
(乙女のだれやめ)
Producer: Kono Foods
Prefecture: Miyazaki

These bite-sized “dareyame” cookies are made with flavorful yuzu kosho from Miyazaki Prefecture. Made from three simple ingredients (yuzu, chili peppers and salt), yuzu kosho is a versatile spicy citrus paste used to add flavor and heat to Japanese dishes (try it as a single item purchase from our Market: Michi no Eki). Here, it’s uniquely combined with wheat flour, eggs and olive oil to create a cookie that has a citrus yuzu flavor that enhances overtime and is finished with a slight spicy aftertaste.

Kono Foods is a small candy shop located in the mountains of Suki, Kobayashi City, Miyazaki Prefecture. Through their store, Petit Paris, they offer their handmade sweets made using local ingredients from Miyazaki which are meant to be enjoyed with loved ones. Dareyame means "evening drink" in the dialect of Southern Kyushu so you’re encouraged to enjoy these cookies with friends as an evening treat alongside your favorite cocktail, glass of wine or cup of tea.

Ingredients: Wheat flour (Kyushu), eggs (Miyazaki), olive oil, yuzu kosho (green chili pepper (Miyazaki), salt (Miyazaki), yuzu), yuzu juice (Miyazaki), baking powder
Suggested uses: Enjoy as is. Pairs well with a cup of tea from our Japanese Green & Specialty Teas: “Ryu” Care Package or with your favorite glass of wine or cocktail.

ŌSUMI YUZU GREEN TEA
(大隅ゆず緑茶)
Producer: Wakoen
Prefecture: Kagoshima

Wakohen’s steamed green tea is made from the freshest tea leaves picked from their fields in Ōsumi, located in the eastern part of Kagoshima Prefecture. The leaves are carefully and diligently steamed to produce a tea with the highest quality color, richness and taste, which is then combined with yuzu to create a tea that balances vegetal green tea with tart, sweet citrus.

Wakohen’s story started about 70 years ago, when Hitoshi Horiguchi had the vision of growing tea on a small 1ha parcel of land. His son, Yasuhisa,helped to increase the number of tea gardens and factories, but noticed that chemicals were having a bad effect on nature and humans. After 10 years of research, he successfully created a machine he called the “Hurricane King” that uses water and high pressure winds, similar to a typhoon, to blow and wash away pests from the tea gardens. He also invented the “SL Steam Buster” which stops weeds from growing using high temperature steam. His passion has helped his tea farm grow to 130 ha while making Kagoshima the biggest tea production region of Japan.

Hitoshi’s grandson Daisuke is now continuing the story of the Horiguchi family having created a group of machines, some which are only used on Wakohen’s tea farms, to grow chemical-free tea. In a few years the 4th generation of the Horiguchi family will continue writing this tea story, of which you are now a part.

Ingredients: Green tea, yuzu
Suggested uses: Combine one tea bag with 200ml of hot water (80°C).