Yuzumania Is Upon Us—Here's the Best Yuzu Stuff to Stock Your Pantry

“Bro, do you even ‘zu?” It’s a question that a ton of bar menus, Japanese and Korean dishes, and new pantry items are asking right now. They’re asking this because the Gods of Culture™—aka the collective unconscious governing what flavors and products people desire at any given moment—have decided that yuzu, the orange-looking, lemon-ish, grapefruit-vibe-tangential Eastern Asian fruit is so hot right now. So, then, yuzu must be new, yeah? Absolutely not—it originated in China as a mandarin hybrid variety, and made its way to Japan and Korea over 1,000 years ago. But is it new to the U.S., at least? Also no, it’s been here for well over a century. OK, so it must just be that the press is only beginning to acknowledge its greatness, right? Uh, still no. And in 2022, Time Out said yuzu was the “ingredient of the year” in London (which means they clearly haven’t gotten Fly By Jing or hot giardiniera over there yet).

Due to its sweet, sour, tart flavor, people love yuzu in everything from cocktails and dressings to marinades, hot sauces, and desserts. Traditionally, you’ll find yuzu in dishes like grilled salmon, veggie salads, and ponzu dipping sauces, but these days, its popularity has led to the advent of yuzu hot sauces, seltzers, and matcha blends. 

Beloved brand Yuzuco, who makes a popular blend called Yuzu Super Juice, called yuzu “your favorite chef’s favorite ingredient.” (We’re pretty sure Guy Fieri’s favorite ingredient is nachos, but we understand what you’re getting at.) It’s versatile, it’s punchy, it’s fresh as hell. But unless you’re growing fresh yuzu in your backyard or frequently hitting your neighborhood Japanese restaurants and cocktail bars, you may be craving easier access to this most popular citrus. Whether you already know and love it or you’re curious to see how deep the yuzu game goes, here are some of the latest and greatest yuzu products out there.

This aforementioned Yuzuco juice blend primes yuzu for sauce, cocktail, and marinade glory. Just “splash on anything” or “mix with everything,” as Yuzuco recommends. Pepperoni pizza with yuzu, here we come.

Asian seasoning brand Omsom is basically sauce royalty as far as we’re concerned, and its yuzu miso glaze comes ready to just slather onto any protein or veggie you’re cookin’ up, from chicken thighs to salmon. 

Chef Masaharu Morimoto’s powerful collab with The Spice House—a spice and herb brand we truly stan—yielded a yuzu kosho spice that contains spicy green chiles. We’d probably do lines of this. Meet us in the kitchen in five for a special snack.

Golde’s limited-edition yuzu matcha offers a citrusy energy boost full of antioxidants. This one has slightly less caffeine than coffee, but nobody’s out here drinking yuzu matcha to get amped up for the big sales pitch. Unless you are, in which case, good luck!

Part of being a mixologist is knowing when to just crack a cold one with the boys. In this case, “cold one” means Sanzo’s “yuzu sparkling water with ginger” and “with the boys” means “alongside any tasty meal you’ve procured, and ideally with a bottle of sake on the side.” 

I’ve seen drinks you people wouldn’t believe. And that includes this [takes impossibly deep breath] N/A sparkling Graza olive oil and yuzu martini from Aura Bora. Real talk, we do love Graza’s highly aesthetic (and delicious) olive oil, so this [takes another deep breath] N/A sparkling Graza olive oil and yuzu martini from Aura Bora is definitely worth checking out.

Ponzu is a traditional Japanese citrus-y soy dressing, and yuzu ponzu is a true OG combo. This classic Marukan dressing will go well on anything from salads and potstickers to pizza and maybe hummus (can’t hurt to try). 

Well, you can, which is great, since I hate driving (ugh) uptown (gross) to hit TJ’s for the few important staples (cookie butter) that I love. People freak out over this yuzu kosho hot sauce, and since you can indeed buy it on the world-famous internet, you may as well sell your car and use the money to buy a Playstation 5 so you can finally play Elden Ring, you loser.

Some say furikake, the dry Japanese seasoning blend that’s made with bonito flakes, dried kelp, and seasame seeds and is perfect for sprinkling on rice, is Japan’s seaweed-tinged answer to everything-bagel seasoning (or maybe it’s the other way around). This seasoning from Muso takes brightness from yuzu for a very balanced topping for anything from sushi to pizza to bagels.

Acid League’s delicious living vinegars are one of a kind, and this “rare citrus” iteration is typical of the brand’s ingenuity and its experimental soul. This raw and unfiltered (same) vinegar is made with blood orange, bergamot, yuzu, grapefruit juice, lime, and orange blossom honey. 

Do the ‘zu.

The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals? Sign up for our newsletter.