Yuzu is my favourite citrus, and in Japan, yuzu tea is as commonplace as lemon or kumquat tea elsewhere in East Asia, that is, the kind that has no actual tea leaf, just citrus, hot water and sweetener, usually honey. It’s difficult to get a hold of yuzu in Australia to make fresh yuzu tea, so this is Muji Yuzu Tea.

The syrup for the yuzu tea is much like the marmalade-like jars of yuzu tea concentrate with yuzu rind that you can get from Japanese supermarkets. It comes in 30g foil sticks. Stir in 120 mL of just boiled water and the yuzu tea is ready. The yuzu tea is fragrant, and just like the fruit itself, brought together brightly the flavours of the best citruses: the tart and acidic qualities of lemon, the intense zestiness of a mandarin, a hint of the sharper bitter notes of a grapefruit, and also the floral notes of lemon or orange blossoms.

In contrast to the jar of yuzu tea bought from a Japanese supermarket, though, this Muji Yuzu Tea extracted more of the sharper notes from the yuzu rind, which made it more enjoyable. That said, both are sweetened – much like a marmalade – and makes yuzu tea perfect for a cold winter’s day.

This Muji Yuzu Tea contained 5 sachets and was purchased in Ōsaka, Japan in 2015.