Yuzu, Sudachi, and Kabosu
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november & december 2009 vol. 41, no. 6 – $7.50 Color pictorial of the 2009 Festival of Fruit Santa Rosa celebration page 16 ONE STEP SH O RT O F PARADI S E All About Olive Oil An Equatorial Rare Fruit Adventure Yuzu, Sudachi & Kabosu Discoveries While Roughing It in Ecuador 5th Annual Pitahaya Festival © DAVID Yuzu fruit, UCR-CVC collection KARP © DAVID KARP © DAVID Kabosu fruit at a farm in Norco, Calif. KARP © Yuzu fruit, UCR-CVC collection DAVID Yuzu grove in Lindcove, Calif. © DAVID KARP KARP - - Sudachi fruit, UCR-CVC collection © UCR - CVC OTTILLIA J . BIER Sudachi fruit, UCR-CVC collection © UCR - CVC TONI J . SIEBERT Kabosu fruit, UCR-CVC collection © DAVID KARP uring the past decade, interest in citrus has diversity uring the past decade, interest Asian in used varieties among particularly increased, D Exclusive by Toni J. Siebert and Tracy L. Kahn J. Siebert and Tracy Exclusive by Toni Yuzu, Sudachi and Kabosu Yuzu, Collection at the University of California, Riverside the Citrus Variety From Deliciously ancient East Asian acid citrus cuisine. Most citrus species and relatives established at the the at established relatives and species citrus Most cuisine. Col Variety Citrus of California at Riverside University the of parts other from came 1907 since (CVC) lection vari some extent the preservation of these rare To world. their availability. eties has contributed to increasing Kabosu fruit at a farm in Norco, Calif. In February 1963, Dr. Willard “Bill” that the temperatures in that area dipped mean width of 4.73 cm (1.9 inches) and Bitters, curator of the CVC from 1946 to to 10F, and no other cultivated citrus grew a height of 4.31 cm (1.7 inches), giving 1982, visited with Dr. Tyozaburo Tanaka in nearby. He collected seed and sent it back an average height-to-width ratio of 0.90 Japan to learn more about Japanese citrus to the United States. and an oblate shape, and a mean weight varieties and meet with other local citrus Later in 1922, Tanaka discovered that per fruit of 52 grams (1.83 ounces). Rind researchers. Although the CVC had previ- the Kansu orange was identical to the Yuzu color break for citrus fruit occurs at a rating ously obtained some Japanese varieties such accession that the USDA had already held of 4, where the rind color changes from a as Yuzu (Citrus junos Sieb. ex Tanaka), the for several years in their greenhouses. It was dark green to a yellow-green, which would trip resulted in the addition of several new then believed that Yuzu was probably im- be a rating of about 6. Yuzu consistently types to the CVC over the next 20 years. In ported prior to the 1900s by Japanese im- reached color break during the first week addition to several Japanese grapefruit and migrants for use in their own gardens in the of October. The rind texture is pebbly and pummelo types, these included papeda-like U.S. (Karp, 2003). The CVC received seed rough, with a mean thickness of 3.9 mm acid citrus selections with a long history of of this accession in 1918, a few months be- (0.15 inches), where a lower number such culinary usage in East Asia called Sudachi fore Meyer’s untimely death. With the seed, as 2.5 means thinner rind. Fruit samples (Citrus sudachi Hort. ex Shirai) and Kabosu Meyer included a description stating that from Lindcove generally have thicker rinds (Citrus sphaerocarpa Hort. ex Tanaka). it was “collected from the Hubei province, than those from Riverside, a warmer loca- Papeda is a citrus subgenus.Yuzu had been China, along the Yangtze River, in a field on tion. Yuzu averaged 27.7 seeds per fruit, acquired by the CVC in 1918, but Sudachi a slope at the elevation of about 4,000 feet.” but since it is primarily used for its peel and was imported soon after the 1963 trip, and Currently there are numerous Yuzu se- juice, not consumed fresh like navel oranges Kabosu followed in 1984. The limited fresh lections and hybrids in Japan and China, or mandarins, seed content is not of evident supply of these acid citrus fruits in United some of which originated from seedlings concern. The rind is not easily peeled in the States markets has been hard pressed to that germinated in the fruit waste of an- green stage, but peels better when the fruits meet increasing demand by consumers and cient dwellings (Taninaka, 1981). Japan are mature. The mean juice weight per fruit restaurant chefs for ethnic cooking. Multi- and Korea are currently the largest produc- is 10.0 grams (0.35 ounces) and the average ple requests for these three fruits convinced ers of Yuzu fruits (Sawamura, 2005). juice content is 18%, most likely due to the the CVC to formally evaluate them for Yuzu is commonly used for cooking presence of numerous plump seeds. There possible commercial potential in September because its rind is very fragrant; it is used was an increase of juice percentage during and October (during the young green stage) for enhancing flavors in many dishes in- the sampling dates. The internal flesh color of the years 2003 to 2007. cluding soups, fish, candies and medicinal of Yuzu in the green stage is light green to Yuzu is the most popular of the acid teas. There have been a few reported studies pale yellow. As Yuzu is highly acidic with an citrus used in food preparation in East Asia. of the uses of essential oils of Yuzu peel in average of 4.5% citric acid, it is used much Tanaka wrote that it was thought to have cosmetics and aromatherapy (Sawamura, the way lemon would be used in the U.S. originated in Korea and from there was in- 2005). A sauce made with juice from the The tree shape and growth habit of troduced into China, and eventually made fruit, called Ponzu, serves as a vinegar sub- Yuzu is upright, spreading and moderately its way into southern Japan during the Tang stitute. Jams, jellies and marmalades are also vigorous. Older non-pruned trees tend to Dynasty approximately 1,000 years ago prepared using the juice, as well as bever- have tall, rigid branches. Thorns up to 5 (Taninaka, 1981). Other scientists maintain ages and liqueurs (Abkenkar, 2003). The mm in length are present in each leaf axil. that the center of origin of Yuzu is in the fruits are used in nearly all stages of matu- Leaves are elliptical in shape with a winged upper reaches of the Yangtze river, in China rity, from young with a green rind to over- petiole of medium width. The tree canopy (Rahman et al., 2001). The fruit is believed mature, puffy, and with a dark yellow rind. has medium density branching. Twenty-six- to be a hybrid of a papeda and a mandarin. Yuzu fruit was formally evaluated by year-old trees on Carrizo and C-35 citrange In 1914, Frank N. Meyer, a plant explorer the UCR Citrus Variety Collection in Sep- rootstock are fairly vigorous and approxi- for the USDA, found Yuzu (which he origi- tember and October of the years 2003 to mately 14 feet tall at Riverside, Calif. There nally named Kansu orange) growing wild in 2007, both at Riverside, Calif., and at the have been no indications of rootstock-scion the southern part of Gansu province among Lindcove Research and Extension Center incompatibility or disease susceptibility us- palms, loquats and bamboo. He estimated near Exeter, Calif. The average fruit has a ing these rootstocks. (turn to page 6) CULTIVAR YUZU SUDACHI KABOSU N Mean Range N Mean Range N Mean Range Fruit length (cm) 48 4.31 3.30–6.10 38 3.38 2.60–4.30 38 5.17 4.20–6.50 Fruit width (cm) 48 4.73 3.60–9.00 38 3.79 3.00–4.80 38 5.25 4.30–6.40 Length-width ratio of fruit 48 0.90 0.70–1.00 38 0.88 0.80–1.00 38 0.98 0.90–1.10 Fruit weight (grams) 48 51.96 22.60–119.50 38 27.18 12.60–53.40 38 71.23 42.40–126.90 Texture based on chart 48 3.89 2.00–5.00 38 2.43 1.00–3.50 38 2.95 2.00–4.50 Rind thickness per fruit (mm) 48 3.90 2.70–5.90 38 1.91 1.10–3.00 38 4.16 2.80–5.40 Number of seeds per fruit 48 27.66 20.40–40.50 38 9.11 5.30–13.40 38 17.19 10.60–23.70 Total soluble solids or sugars 46 11.84 7.70–22.70 37 11.32 10.60–12.90 36 9.92 7.60–16.50 Percentage acidity based on citric acid 46 4.47 2.60–6.60 37 5.00 4.50–5.50 36 3.23 1.90–4.60 Solids-to-acid ratio 46 2.68 1.60–4.60 37 2.38 2.10–2.60 36 3.14 2.00–4.50 Note: “N” is the number of 10 fruit samples used to calculate the mean and range for each of the characteristics listed above. The length-width ratio is a measure of fruit shape. Fruit with length-width ratios greater than 1.0 are taller than they are wide. Conversely, fruit with length-width ratios less than 1.0 are oblate in shape or wider than they are tall.