Glossary - Ingredients

Kabosu Citrus

Japanese citrus with a crisp aroma and refreshing sourness

What is kabosu citrus?

Kabosu citrus (かぼす in Japanese) is about the size of a tennis ball, has a green peel, and is mostly grown in Oita, Kyushu. This fruit is known for its unique aroma and refreshing tartness, and the juice and peels are used in cooking. Many dishes replace lemons or vinegar with kabosu citrus. There is also the sudachi citrus, which is of a similar citrus variety to kabosu. The way to distinguish between these two citruses is size, kabosu are larger than sudachi.

Nutrition facts

Full of vitamin C, the benefits of antioxidants can be anticipated. Kabosu also contains potassium which is great for reducing swelling. In addition, it also contains citric acid which is useful for alleviating fatigue.

Storage to prevent food loss

Put the whole fruit into, or squeeze out the juice into freezer bags, and then place in a freezer to store for long periods of time. Kabosu should keep for about one month.

Trivia

It's said that the name kabosu originates in the Edo period (1603-1868) where these peels were chopped up and used to fumigate for mosquitoes. The word for mosquito in Japanese is "ka", and to fumigate is "ibushi". This was contracted to "kabushi", and then became "kabosu".