FOOD NEWS
Yuzu Kosho Is The Fermented Japanese Ingredient That Boosts Almost Any Dish
BY JULIA HOLLAND
Japanese cuisine features many umami-forward, fermented seasonings, including yuzu kosho, a versatile paste of Thai red or green chili peppers, yuzu fruit, and salt.
"Koshō" is Japanese for chili peppers, and yuzu is a complex citrus fruit often used in Japanese cuisine. The ingredients are ground together and fermented for at least one week.
The flavors meld together to create a condiment that's salty, spicy, and tart. Yuzu kosho with green chilis has a grassier, pungent flavor, while red is smoother and spicier.
Yuzu kosho can be used for meat marinades, pasta, soups, sashimi, spreads, dressings, or even desserts and cocktails, but it has a strong flavor, so use it sparingly.
You can find yuzu kosho at Asian grocers or online for $5 to $35, or you can make it yourself with serrano peppers, jalapenos, and lemon peels instead of Thai chilis and yuzu.
Properly fermented yuzu kosho is shelf-stable when unopened, but once you open it, store it in the fridge for up to two months or the freezer for up to a year and a half.