Cold Days and Tea: How to Make Yuja Cha

So days and nights are getting colder and colder here. I put on an extra pair of socks in the morning, bracing for the day in a cold school (makes me thankful for a warm house and I remember all the many people in N. Korea who live every hour without heat). I come home to a nice warm house (and a nice soft blanket), and sometimes a cup of tea is just what sounds delightful.

An English teacher motioned for me to follow her last week and we walked down to her car for her to give me a bag full of Yuja. Some of you are wondering what this "yuja" is? Well it's a citrus fruit found in Korea and I believe Japan. Koreans typically make tea out of this fruit..it's more like a marmelade mixed with water. It really is quite delicious and a nice change-up from typical tea. So after receiving this bag of 10 yuja with a smile, I had to find out what to do with it... and here's what you do.

1. First cut the Yuja in half.



2. Then remove all the seeds (a small dessert fork works great).



3. Cut each half into fourths. Then, thinly slice (peel,fruit, and everything).




4. Layer yuja and sugar in an airtight container with a 1:1 ratio of yuja to sugar. You can also add a little honey in place of some sugar. Yuja should be the bottom layer and sugar should be the top layer.





5. Let the yuja mixture stand without opening for 10 days. The yuja should float to the top.

6. Mix the mixture.

7. Add a tablespoon of the yuja mixture with a cup of hot water and enjoy!

Mine should be ready to drink this weekend! I'll let you know how it is!! :)