Flavor of the Week: Yuzu kosho, Japan’s versatile citrus condiment

This fermented Japanese condiment is made with the peel of the Japanese citrus fruit yuzu mixed with salt and chiles.

Green yuzu kosho is made with green chiles and unripe yuzu. A red variety, made with red chiles and ripe yuzu, yields a more rounded and fruit-forward counterpart to the sharper and more herbal green version.

Yuzu kosho can be found stirred into ramen and other Japanese soups, but it also makes for a flavorful rub on proteins.

Marketing research firm Datassential in Chicago reports that this premium ingredient has found its way onto menus at fine-dining restaurants and ethnic independents. Its presence has jumped 66% in the past four years.

Among consumers, this flavor of the week finds favorites among in the Generation Z demographic as well as foodies in generation, according to Datassential research.

Click through the slides to find out more about this Japanese condiment, includes a couple of menu ideas.