Yuzu is a citrus fruit that grows in East Asia, especially in Japan, Korea, and China. It looks like a small, bumpy grapefruit or a lumpy lemon, with thick yellow or green skin. The fruit tastes extremely sour and tart, with a complex flavor that blends lemon, grapefruit, and mandarin orange all at once.

People rarely eat yuzu straight like they would an orange. Instead, they use its intensely flavored juice and aromatic zest (the outer peel) to add brightness to dishes. In Japan, chefs squeeze yuzu juice over grilled fish, mix it into salad dressings, or add it to hot pots. Korean cooks make a sweet tea called yuja-cha by mixing thinly sliced yuzu with honey or sugar, then stirring spoonfuls into hot water.

The fruit has become increasingly popular outside Asia, appearing in everything from fancy desserts to craft sodas. Some people compare discovering yuzu to hearing a familiar song played in a completely new way: you recognize the citrus flavor, but it surprises you with something fresh and unexpected. A single squeeze of yuzu juice can transform an ordinary dish into something memorable.