General Information
The Yuzu lime, when mature has the appearance of a stout and puffy spherical lemon. Its peel is thick, semi rough and fragrant. Its flesh contains numerous seeds and membrane that is consistent with the inner texture of its peel. The juice from Yuzu limes is highly acidic and tart. Its sweetness is in the oils of its rind.
The Yuzu lime has two scientific points of origin. It is thought to have originated in Korea and from there was introduced into China. Most scientists maintain that its origins are within the upper regions of the Yangtze River in China, the area that the fruit tree was discovered by Frank Meyer, the same discoverer of the Meyer lemon. He brought seeds from the Yuzu fruit back to America in 1914. Included in his description of the fruit, he noted that he sourced the seeds from the Hubei Provence along the upper slopes of the Yangtze River at an astonishing elevation of 4,000 feet. The temperatures dip below freezing in that area and their are no other citrus varieties that grow near that region.
The Yuzu tree is the most popular citrus fruit tree in the Far East, specifically Japan. It is often used as rootstock for satsumas and other cultivated citrus varieties.
