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–+ servings

Yuzu Kosho (Japanese Citrus Chili Paste)

Prep Time25 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Author Yuto Omura
Servings 4 tbsp

Ingredients  

  • 20 g yuzu zest green, unripe (see in post for substitutes) approx 10
  • 20 g green chili peppers stems and seeds removed, finely diced
  • 8 g sea salt

Instructions 

  • Wash the surface of the yuzu thoroughly, then dry with kitchen paper.
    drying yuzu with kitchen paper
  • Cut out the top stems to make it easier to grate all over.
    taking top off of green yuzu
  • Use a microplane grater to grate the zest into a large container, being careful not to grate the white pith. You can squeeze the juice out of the leftover fruits to use for other recipes. For larger batches, peel the yuzu and blitz in a food processor.
    grating skin of green yuzu into a container
  • Weigh the total zest and make a note of it.
    weighing yuzu peel in a glass bowl on a digital scale
  • Put on some gloves, and cut the stems off of the chili peppers. Slice them down the center lengthways and scoop out the seeds with the back of your knife (or use a spoon).
    scraping seeds out of green chili peppers
  • Weigh the chilis as you go until you have an equal amount to the yuzu zest.
    weighing green chilis in a glass bowl on digital scales
  • Finely dice them.
    finely chopping green chilis on a wooden chopping board
  • Combine the weights of the yuzu zest and chili, then use it to calculate the amount of salt needed to make 20%. (Yuzu + chili = total weight, total weight x 0.2 = salt amount in grams)
    weighing salt on digital weighing scales
  • Combine everything in a mortar and grind with a pestle until there are no more large chunks left. For large batches, blitz everything together in a food processor.
    grated yuzu peel, finely chopped green chili and salt in a mortar ready for grinding into a paste
  • If the mixture seems a little dry, squeeze in some yuzu juice.
    squeezing yuzu juice into homemade yuzu kosho
  • Transfer to a sterilized jar. Although it's safe to eat straight away, it's recommended to let it rest for about 1 week to allow the flavors to develop and chili mellow out. Store in the refrigerator and use up within 1 year.
    Homemade yuzu kosho made with unripe green yuzu and green chilis in a glass jar on a wooden chopping board

Notes

This recipe makes approximately 4 tbsp (1/4 US cup). A little goes a long way but feel free to increase it!
Yuzu Kosho is typically made with a 50/50 ratio of yuzu peel to green chilis. You can reduce the chili for a milder version. I like a 60/40 ratio of yuzu to chili.