Let’s do Yuzu

Discover the rising popularity of Yuzu in cocktails, desserts, and more in Indian cuisine

If you are a K-drama fan, you are probably already aware of Yuzu salad, yuzu coffee and yuzu juice. If you are not, it won’t be long before you see it at a cafe near you.

Yuzu is a Japanese lemon with a bumpy skin. Yellow when ripe, this lemon is known for its aroma, which combined the the tartness of a grapefruit and the sweetness of mandarin orange, with faint floral and citrus notes. Flavour notes of the Yuzu is a cross between orange and sweetline with a sharp tartness of grapefruit.

The complex flavours and citrusy, spicy nose notes make it a common ingredient in Japanese cuisine. Apart from the juice of the Yuzu, the highly aromatic peel is commonly used in desserts and beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.

Maybe that is why Bira introduced Yuzu sour beer. Bira 91 collaborated with Far Yeast Brewing Co., one of Japan’s brewing companies, to launch its first Gose-style beer Yuzu Gose Sour. The ‘Yuzu Gose Sour’ is brewed from a combination of Himalayan pink salt and the peel of Yuzu.

Saikripa Sen Choksi, Culinary Director and Co-Founder Escobar, Mumbai vouches for Yuzu with Tequila. Saikripa said, “Yuzu when paired with white spirits like tequila gives out a vibrant aroma and citrusy zing, add depth and balance. Yuzu seems to be more than just a passing food fad, particularly in the world of mixology. Its application in cocktails, like our in-house ‘Esco Surge,’ which is a combination of zesty tequila, tangy Kaffir lime, and exotic yuzu puree, demonstrates its growing popularity and versatility. Given its successful pairing with a range of flavours, especially tropical ones, yuzu’s use in cocktails is likely to continue increasing.”

Across Southeast Asia, Yuzu has become a star ingredient in Asia’s Top 50 Bars, says Ashish Nayak Mumbai-based consultant for a beer brewing company. He adds, “With Japanese alcohol becoming a crowd-favourite, cocktails featuring Japanese ingredients like the Yuzu Whiskey Sour, a Japanese take on the Ramos Gin Fizz., are being increasingly featured.

That Yuzu is the latest buzz in cafes and patisseries is evident from its presence in macarons, coffee, tea, lemonades, jams and even sauces.  According to Tastewise, a GenAI-powered consumer data platform for food and beverage brands, ‘social conversations about Yuzu have increased by 10.3 % over the past year and 2.4% of restaurants offer Yuzu on their menus. It adds that cake ranks number 1 among the most popular prepared food pairings for Yuzu.