China is known for its tea origin history but while in Beijing and around China, you will realize teas from abroad may be just as prevalent. From English Earl Grey tea to Japanese Matcha tea, the world’s teas are well represented and Korean Citron tea is as well. Yujacha, translated to citron tea, is a traditional Korean tea made from the yuzu fruit, the citrus fruit that closely resembles the pomelo fruit widely available in China. Let’s learn more about this sweet and fruity tea.

Yujacha is made from thinly cut Yuja citrus fruit peels. The Yuja peels are then combined with honey and made into a fruit preserve concoction, then stored in glass bottles. The Yuja is prepared this way, in order for the somewhat bitter and sour taste to be masked by the sweet honey. To prepare this tea, simply combined the Yuja preserve with hot water and stir. Yujacha is a traditional herbal remedy to treat the common cold and other similar wintertime illnesses.

Making Yujacha at home is also possible. To make it, separate the peel and the inside of the Yuja fruit and preserve them separately in sugar. After sitting for a while, boil the Yuja inside in water. Next, slice the peel and pour the boiled concoction in a cup. Next, add Yujacheong and store all contents in a glass jar for four to five months. The Yujacheong used in the previous step can be made by first washing Yuja in warm salt water and letting it dry. Next, cut it in slices about half an inch thick. Then place a layer in a glass jar and add honey. Repeat this until the jar is full and place it in a cool place. After two or three days, it is ready to be used to make Yujacha.

If making Yujacha sounds overly complicated or just too time consuming, you can simply pick it up in most groceries around Beijing. You can definitely find them in Korean expat markets around the capital as well as western expat supermarkets like Jenny Lou’s, April Gourmet, or Ole.