In this video I will show you
how to make palace-style yujacha,
a traditional Korean tea
made from a citrus fruit
called yuja in Korean, and
yuzu in English and Japanese.
The yuja fruit originated
in China. It spread to Korea
and also to Japan more
than 1000 years ago.
Yuja is one of the most
cold-tolerant citrus varieties,
making it possible to farm
it on the Korean peninsula.
Yujacha was greatly enjoyed
by the royalty in Korea.
King Sejong, the most famous
of Korean kings, drank yujacha.
The only two ingredients
in palace-style yujacha
are yuja fruit and honey.
To begin I heat up the honey a bit
to make it easier to work with.
The next step is to cut
the washed yuja fruit
into quarters and slice it very thin.
I add a layer of sliced
yuja to a glass jar.
Then I add some honey.
I alternate layers of yuja and
honey until the jar is full.
Traditionally the entire fruit,
including the rind and the seeds is used,
but you can discard the
seeds if you prefer.
The yuja rind is an
essential part of yujacha.
It has an intense aroma and flavor
unlike any other citrus
fruit that I have tried.
The yuja fruit is sour on its own
and is balanced by the
sweetness of the honey.
Yujacha is still very popular in Korea.
Because honey is expensive,
commercial products typically use sugar,
even the ones including honey.
I like the commercial products,
but homemade yujacha is far superior.
I keep homemade yujacha fresh
until drinking by refrigerating it.
When it is time to drink it,
add two or three teaspoons
of yujacha to a cup and add hot water.
Seeds can be discarded at this point.
Yujacha is a great hot drink
to enjoy in the wintertime.
It is high in vitamin C
and is often used in fighting a cold.
It is also a popular hangover remedy.
After drinking the tea you can
eat the peel, it's delicious.
My family and I love yujacha,
but it's not for everyone.
If you'd like to try yujacha
before going to the
trouble of making your own,
there are many commercial products
that can be found in
Korean grocery stores.
Although the yuja is not a citron fruit,
the products are often called
"Korean honey citron tea".
If you would like to order yujacha online,
I have a link in the description
below where you can buy it.
If you would like to grow your own fruit,
trees can be bought in the
United States and Australia
from reputable disease-free sources.
I hope that you have enjoyed this video.
If you liked it, please be
sure to give it a thumbs up
and subscribe to the YouTube channel.
In Japan the yuzu fruit is used
in a bath on the winter solstice.
My family tried it and we all liked
having the fruit in the bath.
If you have an idea for
a citrus-related video
that you would like me to make,
please suggest it below in
the comments. Thank you!
