 Yuja-cha (yuja tea) andyuja-cheong (yuja marmalade) | |
| Type | Herbal tea |
|---|---|
| Origin | Korea |
| Ingredients | Yuja-cheong |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 유자차 |
| Hanja | 柚子茶 |
| RR | yujacha |
| MR | yujach'a |
| IPA | [ju.dʑa.tɕʰa] |
Yuja-cha (Korean: 유자차) oryuja tea is atraditional Korean tea made by mixing hot water withyuja-cheong (yuja marmalade).[1] Yuja tea is popular throughoutKorea, especially in the winter.[2] This tea is created by curing yuja into a sweet, thick, pulpy syrup.[3] It does not containcaffeine.[2] It is often sold in markets in large jars and used as ahome remedy for the common cold.
Yuja tea is made from the yuja fruit, which is commonly known outside of Korea asyuzu. Yuja does not contain much juice, unlike other citrus fruits. They are able to cook in high temperatures without losing their tartness.[4] Yuja have a strong fragrance. Their scent comes from thezest, juices, andessential oils.[5] Yuja tea is bittersweet. In addition, yuja tea is a preservative, so it can be left out on a shelf or counter.[6]
A man was carrying a shipment of yuja trees from China to Korea until a storm came and hit his boat. The yuja trees were destroyed, but some of the seeds went into the man's coat. As the man continued on Korea's soil, the seeds fell on the ground and grew into yuja trees.[7] Koreans saw the benefits the leaves had and used the yuja leaves for the common cold by crushing it.[8] Because of its bitter taste, they began to preserve the leaves in sugar and honey, which later developed into the yuja tea.[8] KingSejong, who was responsible for the creation of the KoreanHangul script, was its greatest advocate.[9]
Occasionally, the termyuja-cha can also be used to refer to the jarredyuja marmalade used to make the tea.[10][11] The drink's name is sometimes translated into "citron tea" or "honey citron tea" in English,[12][13] butyuja andcitron are differentcitrus fruits. InSinophone regions, the tea is referred to as "柚子茶", but the word柚子 in Chinese refers topomelo, notyuja. The word "柚子茶" is a result of direct translation from the tea's Korean name.[citation needed]
Yuja tea can be made at home from scratch. The ingredients needed are citrus fruit (can be lemon or grapefruit) or yuja, honey, and sugar. The first step is thoroughly clean the fruits. Next, cut the yuja into thin slices and remove the seeds. Put the yuja slices into a bowl, and mix with the honey and sugar. Lastly, put the mixture in a container and store it in a cool, dark area until the syrup is created (about six months).[14] When ready, stir in 1-2 tablespoon of Yuja tea into hot water.[15] The syrup of the yuja tea is also used incocktails, spread for toast, orice cream.[6]
