Цвіт юдзу

Yuzu is believed to have originated in central China as an F1 hybrid of the mangshanyeju subspecies of mandarin orange and the ichang papeda. Yuzu has been cultivated mainly in East Asia, though it has also recently been grown in New Zealand, Australia, Spain, Italy, and France.

Yuzu forms as an upright shrub or small tree, which commonly has many large thorns. The leaves have a large leaf-like petiole and are heavily scented. The fruit resembles a yellow clementine with uneven skin and can be either yellow or green depending on the degree of ripeness. The Ichang papeda, a parent of yuzu, has characteristic lemon-scented foliage and flowers. Hana yuzu, whose name literally means 'flower yuzu', is a variety with smaller fruits, thinner skin, a little lighter aroma, and smaller thorns.

Yuzunone, an odor-active volatile identified in yuzu peel oil, has been found to contribute greatly to yuzu's distinctive aroma. Limonene is the most abundant compound in Citrus junos, in concentrations between 63 and 77%. Meyer described the rind of the fruit he found as full of oil glands and smelling like a fine lemon.

Citrus flowers and leaves show a volatile profile different from that of the rind oils. In flowers, depending on the species, monoterpenes such as linalool, β-myrcene or β-citronellol may be the most prominent compounds. Neroli oil, produced from the blossom of the bitter orange tree, has a scent that is sweet, honeyed, and somewhat metallic with green and spicy facets. Petitgrain, by contrast, is distilled from the leaves and sometimes the twigs and branches of the bitter orange tree, whereas neroli is distilled from the blossoms.

In Japanese cuisine, the aromatic zest and the juice of yuzu are used much in the same way that lemons are used in other cuisines. The taste of the fruit is tart and fragrant, like grapefruit with mandarin-orange overtones. Yuzu is an integral ingredient, along with sudachi, daidai and other similar citrus fruits, in the citrus-based sauce ponzu.

Explore all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.

—

Related: Accord Eudora · African Marigold · Alpha Amylcinnamaldehyde · Alyssum · Angels Trumpet · Aquaflora · Ashoka Flower · Aurantiol