Marmalade was never something either D or I preferred over regular fruit jams. And the chief reason was the peel or rind that imparted a bitter taste. So when browsing through shops in Yufuin, we were surprised by how much we enjoyed the samples of this Cucuchi Yufuin Dried Fruit Kabosu Shinsen.

The candied kabosu is green as the fruit is harvested before it ripens to a yellow colour, while there the smell is slightly sour but not zesty or citrusy.

An initial sweetness from the sugar crystals gave way to a mellow zestiness on biting through the peel in the body before a crisp sourness in the finish. There’s no hint of bitterness in the candied kabosu, making it an enjoyable snack.

We tried numerous other samples of candied kabosu while in Yufuin and this one by Cucuchi was far superior in terms of the brightness of fresh kabosu flavour, while the others lacked flavour and tasted like lumps of sugar. It was substantially dearer, but well worth it.

This Cucuchi Yufuin Dried Fruit Kabosu Shinsen contained 40 g. It was produced in Japan and purchased in Yufuin, Ōita, Japan in 2019.