You have seen it on cocktail menus, in salad dressings at Japanese restaurants, and recently on grocery shelves next to the soy sauce and ponzu. Yuzu is a small, aromatic Japanese citrus fruit with a flavor like lemon, grapefruit, and mandarin combined. It is showing up everywhere right now. Monin named yuzu its Flavor of the Year for 2025, and citrus has seen a 60 percent increase on US beverage menus over the past four years. However, most people have never actually tasted the raw fruit and are not quite sure how to use it.
What is yuzu?
Yuzu (pronounced “YOO-zoo”) is a small, aromatic citrus fruit native to East Asia, primarily used in Japanese and Korean cooking for its zest and juice rather than eaten whole. Its flavor is often described as a combination of lemon, grapefruit, and mandarin with a distinct floral note. It is one of the most cold-hardy citrus varieties in existence, surviving temperatures as low as 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Fresh yuzu is rare and expensive outside Japan. Most Western cooks work with bottled yuzu juice, yuzu kosho paste, or yuzu-infused products.
Key Facts About Yuzu
Scientific name: Citrus junos (a hybrid of Ichang papeda and a wild sour mandarin)
Origin: China, now primarily cultivated in Japan and Korea
Size: About the size of a tangerine, with bumpy, thick, oil-rich skin
Flavor: Lemon, grapefruit, and mandarin with floral and slightly herbal notes
Used for: Zest and juice only. The flesh is too seedy and sour to eat on its own.
Season: October through December in Japan; bottled juice is available year-round
Cold hardiness: Survives down to approximately 10°F, making it suitable for temperate gardens
US imports: Fresh Japanese yuzu is restricted. Most US fresh yuzu comes from California or Korea.
Where Does Yuzu Come From?
Yuzu originated in China and spread to Japan and Korea over a thousand years ago. Botanists classify it as a natural hybrid of the Ichang papeda, a wild citrus native to central China, and a wild sour mandarin. The Ichang papeda parent gives yuzu its extraordinary cold hardiness. The sour mandarin parent contributes aromatic complexity and citrus sweetness.
Today, Japan leads global production. Farmers concentrate yuzu cultivation in Kochi Prefecture on the island of Shikoku, which supplies a significant share of Japan’s total output. Korea also grows yuzu extensively, where people know it as yuja. In both countries, yuzu carries deep cultural significance beyond cooking. In Japan, people traditionally bathe in water infused with whole yuzu fruit on the winter solstice, a centuries-old practice thought to ward off colds and bring good fortune.
Producers rarely export fresh yuzu. The United States restricts imports of fresh Japanese citrus to prevent the spread of citrus greening disease, as confirmed by USDA APHIS. As a result, California growers or Korean importers supply most of the fresh yuzu sold in the US. During peak season in November and December, shoppers can find it at Jap
