Yuzu is a Japanese citrus fruit. Its flavour is amazing - not like anything you've tried before. It's tart and bitter, citrus-like, tangy and fresh, all at the same time.

Yuzu is used in Japanese cooking - both the juice and the rind are utilised to impart the unique yuzu flavour to many dishes. Try yuzu juice instead of lemon in salad dressings. Ponzu sauce also contains yuzu.

One other use is to flavour the traditional Japanese brew - sake. To be honest - I'm not a big fan of strong drinks, but after trying Yuzu sake, I'm converted.

Yuzu sake is made by a small Japanese brewery called Umenoyado. This is what they write on their website:

"In the so-called "second jizake boom" of the 1980s, the name of Ume no Yado became quite well known. Despite our small output, we gained a following, even in Tokyo, and people would often ask me, "Can't you make a bit more?" Naturally, we were very grateful for this, but feel, now as then, that it is better to keep Ume no Yado's output at around its current level of 1600 koku (288kl). Presently, if we receive a query from a customer, and we are given the name of the product and the shipping date on the label, I know the taste of the sake without even having to look at my records. "Ah, it's that sake we wanted to ship after aging it longer, but were running short of stock," we say to ourselves, for example. Or we receive the comment "It tastes a bit flatter than usual," and we admire the acuteness of the customer's palate, while regretting the shortfall of weeks or months in the maturation period - and taking steps to rectify the problem.
Yes, I think we shall continue to do our business on this scale, where we can keep a close, personal eye on everything. "A small brewery" we shall remain."

Lovely! And the flavour of their yuzu sake is uniquely refreshing - just what a sake needs. A touch of that bitter-sweet citrus note to perfectly balance the raw strength and energy of sake. A perfect combination.

Umenoyado have confirmed that their Yuzu sake is brewed without any animal ingredients, and thus suitable for vegans.

More on yuzu on Wikipedia »

Umenoyado Brewery website »
 

Update: Yuzu sake is now available at the:

Japan Centre, Piccadilly »

Ricewine shop, Soho »

Arigato on Brewer street, Soho »

One of many fantastic things about living in London is choice. You can get anything you like here, and when it comes to world food, this city rules. I was very excited when I discovered NamaYasai. They are "natural agriculture" growers of Japanese vegetables and herbs. And they have a Japanese vegetable box scheme!
 

What's wonderful about this small producer based in Lewes, East Sussex is that they do not use any pesticides or fertilisers. All vegetables are from Japanese varieties, grown on their own land and picked the same day.

They grow, among other things: shungiku, gobo, shiso, nira, daikon, kabu, edamame, mitsuba, mizuna, karashina, myoga, kabocha and wasabina.

I was lucky to try one of their Japanese vegetable boxes. All the produce was fresh, crisp and VERY tasty! You can tell these vegetables are grown with love and care. The flavours of wasabina and shiso blew me away. Unique, tangy and refreshing. The box is very affordable, so do give it a go.

Robin and Ikuko of NamaYasai also had a stall at this year's Japan Matsuri, a celebration of all things Japanese at Spitafields market. I was fortunate to be able to buy some more of their amazing vegetables there.
 

They currently have collection points in Dulwich, Finchley, Hackney, Isleworth and Wimbledon and would welcome more – especially in West Acton or Croydon. The person setting up a collection point receives a discount on their vegetables and they invite anyone able to organise a group of people (perhaps already meeting somewhere as a club - or for a shop or café - this is a good way to increase footfall) to get in touch with Namayasai.

You simply must try these! Check out the NamaYasai website here »

Soon you'll be munching on the delicious pink daikon, just like me! Enjoy freshly sliced with just a hint of sea salt.
 

I discovered this on a trip to Madrid. The jar did not look very exciting, but I was bored and hungry. I did not open it until I came back home to the UK.

BIG MISTAKE!

This tastes like heaven. Almond heaven. It's got a soft, milky toffee flavour, smooth and thick texture and is absolutely scrumptious! Almendrina is a thick paste made from almonds and sugar. Sounds simple. But tastes...like nothing I have tasted before.

And it's not available in the UK, as confirmed by the manufacturer. I have heard rumours that jars of Almendrina have been spotted at Wholefoods market, but I need to look into that.

If you travel to Spain, get a jar or two, or even the big 1kg tin. It's just a couple of euros, and totally worth it.

The Almendrina website states:

"The most common use of ALMENDRINA is in the preparation of almond milk.  To prepare, you only have to mix one or two soupspoons of ALMENDRINA with ten tablespoons of hot or cold water.  If you use cold water, you’ll get a very pleasant refreshing drink that is also nutritious.  You can also add coffee, tea, malt,instant coffees or coffee substitutes.

Because of its creamy texture, it can also be used straight from the jar like a jam, or in baking recipes:  for cakes, ice creams, puddings, custards, and so on."

Ah - they are so right. Straight from the jar. A teaspoon when you're feeling down. Heaven.

The Almendrina website is below:

http://www.almendrina.com/