In Japan, on the night of the winter solstice we always took a bath with Yuzu (ゆず湯)
Looking like lemons, I think they taste more like grapefruit. As you probably know, yuzu are small lemons that taste like grapefruit. They are oily and smell wonderfully fragrant. We just tossed in a handful of yuzu into the bathwater -- Kazy loved the way the little lemons would bob on the water's surface.
Like in the West, the winter solstice in Japan is a celebration of the return of the sun (light defeating darkness)--but in Japan, seasonal turning points are those times when people are vulnerable to catching a cold.
Ichiyo raifuku (一陽来復) is moment in time when the darker "yin" days return to "yang." And, it is said that if you take a yuzu bath on the winter solstice, you won't catch a cold!
In Pasadena, yuzu are not cheap so I buy yuzu bath salts from Chidoriya and save the real yuzu for cocktails!!
This year we used this recipe from Food52
The taste of basil is a great pairing with the yuzu...
+++
For 4-6 drinks
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup basil
Ice
Vodka
Yuzu juice (unsweetened), or fresh grapefruit, lemon, lime juice, or a combination For the Syrup: Combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water into a saucepan. Heat until dissolved. Add about 1/2 cup loosely packed basil leaves. Let steep for 15 minutes. Pour through a sieve, reserving syrup. Chill. When thirsty, mix equal parts syrup, yuzu and vodka. Pour over ice. You could get fancy and get out the cocktail shaker, or you could invite a slurp of club soda along. And if there's no yuzu at your house, a mix of grapefruit and lime juice would be splendid. Enjoy with a squeeze of lime.
乾杯!!!
Comments