Among the foods with the highest growth index in world gastronomy are hot sauces. Maybe it is because of the media hype about the beneficial effects of chili peppers or the habit of oriental foods that even in northern areas have made people appreciate the spicy and spicy flavors, but hot sauces are also doing great in Italy, however much we have never been big consumers of ready-made sauces like Americans and Germans.
In Japan there is a hot sauce with a long tradition that is becoming increasingly popular in the West, yuzu kosho. What is yuzukosho?
Lo Yuzu Kosho more than a sauce is a paste, in jars or pouches, of chili peppers, green or red, mixed with juice e peel of Yuzu, the Japanese lemon with its unmistakable and unique aroma, which turned out to be the real secret of the “magic touch” that many multi-star chefs were able to impart to their finest dishes.
This yuzu-flavored chili paste originated on the island of Kyushu in the southeastern Japanese archipelago, but has now become a renowned condiment throughout Japan. A spoonful of this special paste transforms a dish, adds a complexity of flavors that sees the aggressive strength of chili pepper intertwine with the delicate fresh and aromatic fragrance of yuzu citrus.
A little addition of Yuzu kosho and the usual soup, noodles, steak, or fish will gain a new personality, a new flavor, that will not fail to fascinate you.
Put it as a diluted ingredient in a dipping sauce, try a pinch of it in a vinegrette to dress a salad, add it in a sauce or pan while cooking meat, fish or vegetables, in fish soup, mix it with ground raw meat to make a “Tartar” or hamburger, and you won’t be able to do without it. Some people use it instead of wasabi in sashimi, laying a tiny portion on the slice of raw fish or diluting it in soy sauce.
The finest sushi bars use it for “Spicy tuna” and “Spicy salmon” sushi, mixing it with chopped or diced raw tuna or salmon used as fillings in temaki cones or sushi rolls. And, in any case, a “swipe” of yuzu kosho in any sushi roll will not go unnoticed by the palate.
So you score those points that will keep you coming back to that sushi bar!
Yuzu kosho is then a decisive ingredient for marinades, able to add flavor to classic “hot wings,” spicy chicken wings, or any other meat to be barbecued or pan-fried. It is added in fish marinades, along with sweet wine-condiment Mirin and white miso, whether you consume the fish simply marinated, or then grill it.
Some have ventured to use it even in some desserts and chocolate preparations , but by now everyone knows that chili and chocolate “bond.”
Versatile like few other seasonings, and absolutely affordable, Yuzu Kosho has all the makings of your own personal “magic potion” in the kitchen. Of course, also delicious on roasted wild boar!
Red Yuzu Kosho is available in 50- or 60-gram jars and green in 50-gram jars.
To be stored at room temperature and, once opened, in the refrigerator.
