Citron tea is something I’ve started to make at home once it begins to get cold outside in December. Drinking a glass right before bed helps me relax. Naturally packed with vitamin C, citron tea is a time-tested cold and flu remedy in Korea and Japan. Soothe your soul and a sore throat!
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What is Citron Tea?
If you’re into watching Korean dramas on Netflix, you may have noticed this drink.
It originates in Korea, where it’s called yuja cha. The traditional Korean tea is also popular in Japan.
I’m used to hearing the drink’s name in Japanese, yuzu cha.
If you speak Korean or Japanese, you know that the word cha in yuya cha (유자차) or yuzu cha (柚子茶) means tea.
Like herbal teas, yuzu tea doesn’t contain any tea leaves.
It’s caffeine-free.
Store-bought Yuja/Yuzu Tea
In Japan, it’s typical to buy jars of imported yuzu cha from Korea.
You’ll find it on the shelf at most supermarkets here.
The jars you buy contain a marmalade called yuja-cheong in Korean.
At home, you make citron tea by simply mixing the juja marmalade into hot water.
You can easily find a jar of it to try online. Note that the options available may be pricey, depending on where you live.
I like making my own healthier version with 100% local honey, no added white sugar, and no crappy additives.
It’s so simple to make it yourself.
Though, I’m beginning to wonder if I was a Korean grandmother in a previous life.
What is Yuzu, the Fruit?
Yuzu is a citrus fruit that originally comes from central China. Nowadays, you’ll primarily find it grown in Korea, Japan, and China.
It’s possible to find the fruit outside of East Asia, though it will take some luck finding fresh yuzu to use-u.
At first glance, it looks like a knobbly-skinned, homely-looking lemon.
But looks can be deceiving.
Don’t be fooled– its beauty is on the inside. Its fragrance is like no other.
The first time you breathe in the perfume of fresh yuzu, you will easily get over your past heartbreaks and fall head-over-peels in love.
The taste is tart like grapefruit but with sweeter overtones of mandarin orange.
Helen Rossner in The New Yorker described yuzu as “more floral than an orange and nearly as tart as a lime, with a scent that is dense and disarming, the Froot-Loops-y honey of a lemon blossom wrapped around an astringent armature of industrial floor cleaner (which is somehow exquisite), then magnified tenfold, then mailed to the moon.”
Similar to a lemon, it’s not eaten as a fruit in Japan. It’s commonly used as a zest or seasoning in Japanese cuisine and condiments.
Why is Yuzu banned in the US?
According to the New York Times, the importation of fresh yuzu was banned to protect American growers from diseases prevalent in Asian groves. But yuzu is grown and sold domestically.
In the same Times article, it says that the trees were introduced in California before 1888, grown in home gardens by Japanese-American aficionados.
About 30 years ago, enterprising farmers started growing yuzu, some perhaps illicitly, to fulfill a demand from chefs.
Disclaimer (Read this first!)
I want to warn you that this yuzu drink is so tasty!
In South Korea, they say once you try yuja cha,
you’ll get addicted.
Please note that this blog is for informational purposes only. I cannot accept any liability whatsoever.
If you do get caught drinking this delicious drink, please share your mug shot on Instagram and tag @eyesandhour and hashtag it #eyesandhour.
How to Make Citron Tea from Scratch
Once I realized just how easy it is to make my own yuzu cha from scratch, I stopped buying it and made my own.
Essentially, all it takes is learning a few tips for cutting the yuzu and knowing how to sterilize a glass jar.
Once you squeeze the juice out and thinly slice the leftover peels,
there really isn’t much more to do.
Even removing the seeds is optional.
The thinly sliced peel, the juice, and flesh of the fruit gets mixed with honey.
Then, screw on the lid, let it sit for a day, and put it in the fridge.
In three or four days, you’ll have fresh, homemade yuzu marmalade.
Mix 2-3 spoonful with hot water and rejuvenate with a cup of yuzu tea!
Where can you buy Yuzu?
Right now, it’s December in Japan.
I went to the U.N. farmers market in Tokyo yesterday and again today. Many sellers had yuzu for sale.
The typical price was $1.50 per yuzu. I bought a bag of less than perfect organic yuzu for about $2.
It’s much easier to find fresh yuzu when it’s in season, late Autumn to early winter.
In the US– California has the greatest number of farmers growing yuzu. Yuzu is popular with chefs in the US. I read that Michelin Star chef, Thomas Keller, is a fan of yuzu.
If you need help finding yuzu in your area, let me know.
If you’re outside of California, your best bet would be a Korean or Japanese specialty grocery store or asking the chefs at higher-end Japanese restaurants.
If you live outside a major city like New York, your options are probably limited to buying expensive yuzu online or trying an alternative.
And if you decide to plant your own yuzu tree in your backyard, don’t expect fruit for the first ten years.
That will teach you patience.
In Australia– There are only a few yuzu growers. In this article, there are specific farms and places where you can buy yuzu listed.
According to the article, the season ranges from a few weeks to a few months, somewhere between February to July. It will also depend on where the grower is in Australia.
I also read online that people living in the UK and New Zealand were able to find fresh yuzu as well.
What can replace Yuzu?
It’s likely you live somewhere where yuzu aren’t available.
If you are lucky enough to find some at a farmer’s market or Japanese or Korean supermarket, it’s likely that they’re extremely expensive.
Here are your options as I see it:
Option 1: Sell your house and move to Japan or South Korea.
Option 2: Buy bottled yuzu marmalade online, which is still good. It’s just not as healthy as this homemade recipe.
Option 3: Try replicating this recipe with other citrus fruit.
The best alternative seems to be Meyer’s lemons, though you could try out lemons too.
Homemade Citron Tea (Yuzu / Yuja Cha)
Ingredients
- 5-6 yuzu fruit medium size
- honey
To Make Citron Tea
- hot water
Instructions
Prep
- Wash whole yuzu thoroughly with water.
- Scrub yuzu peels with course salt.(optional)
- Remove any brown spots or scars in the peels with a knife.
- Slice yuzu into quarters, vertically, from stem to bottom tip.
- Trim off the pith.*
- Squeeze out juice and pulp into a small bowl. Set aside.
- Remove seeds with a knife or spoon.(optional)
- Remove stem ends with a knife.
- With peels facing down on a cutting board, slice peels julienne-style. Set aside.
- Remove pulp from the bowl and squeeze out the juice with your hands.
- Blend pulp in a blender or chop into small pieces with a knife. Set aside.
Combining the Ingredients
- Using chopsticks or a fork, add slices of yuzu to a sterilized jar to make one layer of yuzu peels.*
- Cover the layer of yuzu peel with honey.
- Repeat steps 1 and 2 until you've added all of the yuzu peel to the jar.
- Add all the yuzu juice and chopped pulp to the jar.
- Stir with a spoon.
- Tightly seal lid on the jar.
- Leave the jar out in a cool, dry place for one day.
- After a day, open the jar and mix with a spoon.
- Reseal the jar with the lid and keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Making citron tea
- Add one tablespoon of yuzu/honey mixture to hot water or black tea.
- Stir and serve warm.
Notes
Health Benefits of Citron Tea
In Japan and Korea, yuzu cha is marketed as a cold and flu remedy. Yuzu, a citrus fruit, is high in vitamin C.
The warm drink with honey is soothing for a sore throat or cough.
Yuzu is also a common essential oil– the smell of the rind is calming. Take a sniff while trying out this recipe–
feel your stress will peel away.
Health Benefits of Yuzu
Relieve inflammation– Yuzu fruit is high in antioxidants.
Limonene, a compound that is concentrated in the yuzu peel, may help reduce inflammation and prevent the formation of free radicals. This is why you should eat the peel.*
Other parts of the yuzu fruit may also contain powerful antioxidants. Knowing this, I would use as much of the fruit as possible when making homemade yuzu. Even the seeds!
The only part I that I recommend you remove is the pith, which tastes bitter, and the stem.
*I recommend using organically grown yuzu, if available.
Boosts your immune system– Yuzu is high in both vitamin C and antioxidants.
Other potential health benefits–
• Yuzu’s fragrance has been shown to be mood-boosting and stress-reducing.
• It may also inhibit blood clotting to protect you from heart attacks and strokes.
• Reduce inflammation, which may help reduce the risk of chronic disease.
• Protect brain health and potentially prevent cognitive decline or neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s disease.
Health Benefits of Honey
Sleep better– I remember some people in Tim Ferriss’s book, Tools of Titans, rave about honey helping them fall sleep at night. Honey can promote relaxation and help ease you to sleep at night.
Drinking a cup of citron tea before bed may actually help you get a better night’s sleep!
Get allergy relief– Taking a high-quality raw local honey for two months before allergy season can actually lessen your allergies.
Consuming honey daily before allergy season can help your body grow accustomed to the pollen and immunize your body against it. (Source: Dr. Oz)
The lesson I learned …
Author’s note:
I’ve found that every recipe for my blog teaches me a new lesson.
Every creation is the result of a process of trial and error, a string of successes and flops.
This lesson I got from this one is easy:
SLOW DOWN!
How appropriate for a recipe for citron tea.
I actually had to take a couple of days off from working on this recipe.
My headache still hasn’t gone completely away.
Work has been busy and stressful. Not wanting to take a break, I ended up spending way too much time looking at a screen.
This has happened to me before. Apparently, I’ve yet to learn my lesson.
I was writing report cards and then working on my blog straight after that.
Surprise, surprise, I ended up with a headache that’s taking days to subside.
I love working on these recipes, but looking at a screen so much basically put a strain on my neck, my eyes, and fried my brain.
Lesson learned. You gotta slow down
and listen to what your body is telling you.
You gotta take breaks and get off your damn screen.
And yes, after this I’m going to close my laptop.
I’m making a warm cup of citron tea
and taking time for myself to unwind.
Jeesh!
Take – a – break.
Hi,
Just start drinking the yuza tea I bought a big jar from Korean supermarket. I first saw it on the Korean drama I was watching called “YUMI Cell”. I am now addicted to it and drink it every night, I mix it with hot water before bedtime. It tasted so good, it give the sweetness if you grave sweet at the same time without adding calories 🙂
I am originally from the Philippines and I love watching Korean Drama. My hubby said my I should be born Korean.. Actually lots of Korean living in out country specially near where I was born part of Central Luzon. I am now living in San Antonio Texas, moved to the US when I married my husband 32 years ago….
Hi Esper. thank you for taking the time to leave a comment! That's great that you can find some yuzu cha in Texas. Especially when it starts to get cold at night, I find it relaxing to drink before bed.