It’s been called the world’s sexiest fruit and it’s a darling of chefs, yet you may never have heard of it.
So brace yourself for the taste of 2014: yuzu, a rare and costly citrus fruit from Japan, which is predicted to become as popular here as oranges.
It tastes like a cross between a lemon, mandarin and grapefruit and is finally being accepted into Western cuisine, where it is being used to flavour everything from beer and chewing gum to vinegar and cocktails.
It is widely stocked in Asian food shops and is expected to hit supermarket shelves early next year.
Nationwide chain Yo! Sushi is adding a sashimi dish to its menu at the end of November featuring thinly sliced premium salmon with a tart salsa made of yuzu. Executive chef Mike Lewis says: ‘Yuzu looks like a tangerine and tastes similar to a floral lime.
‘It has three times more vitamin C than a lemon, which makes this dish super-healthy.’
Jamie Oliver has a recipe for home-made yuzu mayo (made of grapefruit if he can’t get hold of the real thing) to drizzle over grilled scallops, while Nigel Slater makes a yuzu dressing for his crab and apple slaw.
The East India Company has sourced yuzu direct from Japan to use in a new range of fruit-infused chocolates.
The company’s Manan Bhansali says: ‘Though it is a citrus, yuzu is softer on the palate than lemon.’
The chocolatier William Curley also uses fresh yuzu in his couture chocolate (£14 per 100g, williamcurley.com) and cooks a yuzu and praline tart (£5 each).
Source: Daily Mail