Citron Tea

One of my favorite beverages is the citron tea, or yujacha, 유자차.  It’s different from regular teas because it is not brewed from dried leaves but from a marmalade like syrup.  The citron is a very unique fruit because it is rarely, if ever, eaten peeled.  The pulp is dry and little in proportion to the amount of pith and peel.  However, it is a very fragrant and nutritional fruit.  Many Koreans drink it during the winter months because it is an excellent source of Vitamin C and is also believed to be a natural source of antibiotics.  When a cold is caught, instead of orange juice, Koreans give the advise to drink some citron tea.

In my house, we always have a large jar of citron marmalade whether it’s winter or summer.  The marmalade is made by slicing the peel, pith, and pulp thinly and then boiling in water and sugar. The process is almost identical to jam making.  I’ve never eaten the marmalade with toast, but I imagine it would go well because it’s sweet, sticky, and lemony.  The taste is a mix between a lemon and orange.  It’s sort of a calm zip.

Mix a couple teaspoons of the citron marmalade with cold or hot water.  If making a hot tea, pour some hot water into your cup beforehand.  This will help the tea stay warm for longer.  You can spoon out the peel and eat it.  Sometimes I like the chew, but other times I just leave it at the bottom of my cup.  It just depends on what I’m in the mood for.