Yuzu

The yuzu (Citrus ichangensis × C. reticulata, formerly C. junos Siebold ex. Tanaka; Japanese ユズ, 柚, 柚子 (yuzu); 유자 (yuja) in Korean; from Chinese 柚子, yòuzi) is a citrus fruit and plant originating in East Asia. It is believed to be a hybrid of sour mandarin and Ichang papeda.

The fruit looks a bit like a very small grapefruit with an uneven skin, and can be either yellow or green depending on the degree of ripeness. Yuzu fruits, which are very aromatic, typically range between 5.5 and 7.5 cm in diameter, but can be as large as a grapefruit (up to 10 cm or larger).

Description

Yuzu forms an upright shrub or small tree, which commonly contains numerous large thorns. Leaves are notable for a large petiole, resembling those of the related kaffir lime and ichang papeda, and are heavily scented.

Yuzu closely resemble sudachi in many regards; they share a similar mandarin-ichang papeda ancestry, though sudachi will eventually ripen to an orange color, and there are subtle differences in the flavor of the fruit.

The Yuzu originated in China, and also grows wild in central China and Tibet. It was introduced to Japan and Korea during the Tang Dynasty and it is in these nations that it is cultivated most widely. Confusingly, in modern Chinese, the name 柚子 (yòuzi) refers to the pomelo, while the yuzu is known as 香橙 (xiāngchéng).

It is unusual among citrus plants in being relatively frost-hardy, due to its cold-hardy C. ichangensis ancestry, and can be grown in regions with winters at least as low as -9°C (15°F) where more sensitive citrus would not thrive.

In Japan, an ornamental version of yuzu called hana yuzu (花ゆず, 花柚子?) "flower yuzu" is also grown for its flowers rather than its fruit. A sweet variety of yuzu known as the yuku became severely endangered during the 1970s and 1980s; a strong attempt has been made at reviving this varietal in southern Japan. Another variety of yuzu with knobby skin is called shishi yuzu (literally "lion yuzu").



Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuzu


See Also: Flora, online flowers, flower arrangement