- Author: Kathy Low
Some citrus fruits are grown not to be consumed fresh like an orange, but for use in cooking. One such citrus is the sudachi (Citrus ichangensis X.C. reticulata var. austere), a very tart sour citrus. Its name, sudachi, loosely translates into citrus vinegar.
Native to the Tokushima Prefecture of Japan on the island of Shikoku, the sudachi is believed to be a hybrid of a papeda and a mandarin. It's a small citrus fruit with a round to flattened sphere shape, usually measuring less than one and a half inches in diameter and less than one and third inches high. It has a thin leathery rind that's deep green when immature, turning yellow when mature. The flesh is also pale green when immature, turning more yellowish when mature. It's juicy and has some seeds, but not as many as a yuzu citrus
Sudachis are generally harvested when green and immature because that's when they're said to be most flavorful. Its taste is sour, acidic, and described as having herbal undertones with a hint of cumin, dill, and pepper. Like the yuzu, it's a very aromatic citrus fruit.
Sudachi juice is used in Japanese cooking, in vinegars, in ponzu sauce and other sauces, marinades, and salad dressings. The juice and sudachi slices and zest are also used to flavor fish, soups and meat dishes. They're also used in non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages.
The trees are slow-growing, long-lived small to medium-sized citrus trees, usually growing from five to twenty feet tall. The trees are resistant to citrus canker and citrus root borers.
If you don't do enough Japanese cooking to warrant growing your own sudachi tree, you can buy sudachi juice from a number of online retailers.