is a type of Japanese seasoning. It is a paste made from

chili peppers Chili peppers (also chile, chile pepper, chilli pepper, or chilli), from Nahuatl '' chīlli'' (), are varieties of the berry-fruit of plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for ...

yuzu Yuzu (''Citrus junos'', from Japanese or ) is a citrus fruit and plant in the family Rutaceae of East Asian origin. Yuzu has been cultivated mainly in East Asia, though recently also in New Zealand, Australia, Spain, Italy, and France. I ...

peel and salt, which is then allowed to ferment.Ono, Tadashi and Salat, Harri
''The Japanese Grill''
Random House, 2011, p. 7 It is usually used as a condiment for ''

nabemono ''Nabemono'' (鍋物, なべ物, ''nabe'' "cooking pot" + ''mono'' "thing"), or simply ''nabe'', is a variety of Japanese cuisine, Japanese steamboat (food), hot pot dishes, also known as one pot dishes and "things in a pot". Description Nab ...

'' dishes,

miso soup is a traditional Japanese soup consisting of a dashi stock into which softened miso paste is mixed. In addition, there are many optional ingredients (various vegetables, tofu, ''abura-age'', etc.) that may be added depending on regional and sea ...

, and

sashimi is a Japanese delicacy consisting of fresh raw fish or meat sliced into thin pieces and often eaten with soy sauce. Origin The word ''sashimi'' means "pierced body", i.e. "刺身" = ''sashimi'', where 刺し = ''sashi'' (pierced, stuck) ...

. The most famous types of ''yuzu koshō'' come from

Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surroun ...

, where it is a local specialty.

Characteristics

The last pair of

kanji are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese ...

in the name, koshō (胡椒), normally refers to

black pepper Black pepper (''Piper nigrum'') is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, known as a peppercorn, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit is a drupe (stonefruit) which is about in diame ...

; in the Kyushu dialects, however, they refer to chili peppers. Normally green chili peppers are used, but some versions use red peppers. ''Yuzu koshō'' made from green chilis is green, while using red chilis yields an orange paste. ''Yuzu koshō'' is described as being mildly spicy with acidic tones from the citrus fruit.

History

Origin

There are theories that ''yuzu koshō'' was originally made in Hita,

Ōita Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Ōita Prefecture has a population of 1,136,245 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 6,340 km2 (2,448 sq mi). Ōita Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the northwest, Kumam ...

大分放送大分百科事典刊行本部編『大分百科事典』1980年、大分放送発行食は知恵なり－自然のちから－
日本テレビ、2008年3月10日 and in Soeda,

Fukuoka Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Fukuoka Prefecture has a population of 5,109,323 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,986 Square kilometre, km2 (1,925 sq mi). Fukuoka Prefecture borders S ...

.柚乃香お店紹介
One theory holds that several villages in Hita were the centers where yuzu cultivation became popular, and where ''yuzu koshō'' had been made by families for a long time. Another holds that a garden in

Mount Hiko , is a mountain on the border between Fukuoka Prefecture and Ōita Prefecture in Kyūshū, Japan. It has an elevation of 1,200 metres. It is an important site for Shugendo, and a famous place for rock climbing. It is supposed Miyamoto Musash ...

, a mountain located between Fukuoka and Oita and one of the three sacred mountains of Japan, has a yuzu tree where ''

yamabushi are Japanese mountain ascetic hermits. They are generally part of the syncretic religion, which includes Tantric Buddhist, Shinto, and Japanese Taoist elements. Their origins can be traced back to the solitary Yama-bito and some (saints or ho ...

'' first created ''yuzu koshō''. The process has been passed down through the generations of ''yamabushi''.

Popularity

Originally ''yuzu koshō'' was made by families, but mass-produced versions showed up on the market. It grew in popularity after being offered as a souvenir in the hot spring town of Yufuin Onsen. It grew even more in popularity when , a major producer of ''shoyu'' and miso in Kyushu, began making ''yuzu koshō''. Recently it has become available in supermarkets in the Kanto region. In recent years, major producers like

House Foods is one of Japan's largest food manufacturers and brands. It began in 1913 in Osaka as Urakami Shoten and began selling curry in 1926. House Foods is the world's largest manufacturer of Japanese curry, and is well known for its Japanese curry b ...

, S & B Foods,

McCormick & Company McCormick & Company, Incorporated is an American food company that manufactures, markets, and distributes spices, seasoning mixes, condiments, and other flavoring products to retail outlets, food manufacturers, and foodservice businesses. Thei ...

, and

Lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...

have started selling it. A version of ''yuzu koshō'' in a tube has appeared on the market. ''Tankan koshō'' is a similar product using the more orange-like citrus tankan.

Use

Originally, ''yuzu koshō'' was used in ''

'', but it is now also found as a condiment for ''

tsukune is a Japanese chicken meatball most often cooked yakitori style (but also can be fried, baked, or boiled) and sometimes covered in a sweet soy or yakitori ''tare'', which is often mistaken for teriyaki sauce. Summary Thickeners are added to ...

'',

udon Udon ( or ) is a thick noodle made from wheat flour, used in Japanese cuisine. It is a comfort food for many Japanese people. There are a variety of ways it is prepared and served. Its simplest form is in a hot soup as with a mild broth called ...

miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning. It is a thick paste produced by fermenting soybeans with salt and ''kōji'' (the fungus ''Aspergillus oryzae'') and sometimes rice, barley, seaweed, or other ingredients. It is used for sauces and spread ...

, ''

tempura is a typical Japanese dish usually consisting of seafood, meat and vegetables that have been battered and deep fried. The dish was introduced by the Portuguese in Nagasaki through fritter-cooking techniques in the 16th century. The word ''tem ...

'', and ''

yakitori is a Japanese type of skewered chicken. Its preparation involves skewering the meat with , a type of skewer typically made of steel, bamboo, or similar materials. Afterwards, they are grilled over a charcoal fire. During or after cooking, th ...

''. Further, since becoming available all throughout Japan, it is being used in various ways such as on spaghetti, salads, ''

tonkatsu is a Japanese dish that consists of a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet. It involves coating slices of pork with panko (bread crumbs), and then frying them in oil. The two main types are fillet and loin. Tonkatsu is also the basis of other dis ...

'', ''ramen'', and ''

shumai ''Shumai'' () is a type of traditional Chinese dumpling. In Cantonese cuisine, it is usually served as a dim sum snack.Hsiung, Deh-Ta. Simonds, Nina. Lowe, Jason. 005(2005). The food of China: a journey for food lovers. Bay Books. . p 38. In ...

''. Large-scale manufacturers have also started using the flavoring in their products.

Calbee is a major Japanese snack food maker. It was founded on 30 April 1949, and its headquarters are located in the Marunouchi Trust Tower Main in Marunouchi, Chiyoda, Tokyo. It launched operations at a new plant in the United States for making its ...

makes snack foods such as potato chips that are flavored as ''yuzu koshō'', but they are found in only certain locations.

Ezaki Glico , commonly known as just Glico, is a Japanese multinational food processing company headquartered in Nishiyodogawa-ku, Osaka. It does business across 30 countries, in North America, Asia-Pacific and Europe. Overview Ezaki Glico's primary b ...

makes

Pretz Pretz (プリッツ, ''Purittsu'') is a Japanese snack made by Ezaki Glico. Like Ezaki Glico's other popular snack, Pocky, Pretz is stick-shaped and comes with a texture similar to pretzels. Unlike Pocky, Pretz is dusted with seasonings instead of ...

with the flavoring, and Meiji makes a curly corn chip that is sold only in Kyushu. Kameda makes fried

mochi is a Japanese rice cake made of , a short-grain japonica glutinous rice, and sometimes other ingredients such as water, sugar, and cornstarch. The rice is pounded into paste and molded into the desired shape. In Japan, it is traditionally ma ...

chips and ''

senbei are a type of Japanese rice cracker. They come in various shapes, sizes, and flavors, usually savory but sometimes sweet. Senbei are often eaten with green tea as a casual snack and offered to visiting house guests as a courtesy refreshment. ...

'' as well. However, as snacks must not have any moisture in them, the flavoring is created by combining yuzu powder and chili powder, and real ''yuzu koshō'' is not used. In Kyushu,

Kit Kat Kit Kat (stylised as KitKat in various countries) is a chocolate-covered wafer bar confection created by Rowntree's of York, United Kingdom, and is now produced globally by Nestlé (which acquired Rowntree's in 1988), except in the United Stat ...

s with ''yuzu koshō'' flavor are sold.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yuzukoshou Japanese condiments Citrus dishes Food paste

Characteristics

History

Origin

Popularity

Use

See also

References