Keep yourself warm and healthy with Yuzu on the Winter Solstice

Around December 20-23 each year, the North Pole tilts its furthest from the sun, bringing the shortest day and longest night of the year. The day is called Toji, or the winter solstice in Japan (this year December 22nd).

And we can’t talk about the day of Toji without yuzu. With a refreshing aroma and sour taste very similar to lemon, this deep yellow-skinned yuzu has been cultivated for centuries in Japan since it was introduced from China in the 8th century. Winter is month of yuzu for many reasons. Celebrate their seasonal citrus fruit by enjoying the flavor and benefits that yuzu can bring to your everyday routine.

Yuzu is used for everything from cooking to bathing in Japan. In particular, the aroma of yuzu is considered to have strong calming qualities. Talking about yuzu in Kyoto, the village of Mizuo, located on the terraced far side of Mt. Atago (924 meters high; Kyoto’s highest mountain on the west side) is a must-mention as it is where yuzu farming began in Japan.

Mizuo is one of the few hardly-accessible hidden villages in Kyoto where some 20 households still inhabit the mountain side. Many hikers start from here and go through Mt. Atago, too. Mizuo is the village of yuzu and it is not possible to wander around the village without seeing yuzu trees everywhere. During the harvest season, the whole village is filled with their enticing aroma.

Many Japanese people continue to follow the ancient tradition of taking a yuzu bath on the winter solstice. The tradition started in the 8th century. Pieces of yuzu cut in half put in a cloth bag or whole fruits are floated in the hot bath water. Both the juice and its bright, sunny color are traditionally thought to have warming properties, helping bathers to ward off illness.

There are few fragrances as memorable as the delicate aroma of yuzu. The fruit is a staple for chefs in Japan, who turn to it to enhance a countless variety of dishes from appetizers to main dishes and even desserts.