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Yuja-cha (Citron Tea)

Name: Yuja-cha (Citron Tea)
Total time: 20 min
Yield: Serves 10
Cuisine: Korea
Ingredients: 3 (about 300g) Yuzu; 150g Sugar; 100g Honey; a pinch Salt; 150ml per cup Hot Water

Drink

⏱ 20 min

👥 Serves 10

Difficulty ⭐

Yuja-cha is a traditional Korean tea made by stirring a syrup of thinly sliced yuzu preserved in sugar and honey into hot water. Sweet, tangy, and fragrant, it’s a classic winter warmer.

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📖 The Story Behind This Drink

Yuja-cha is one of Korea’s leafless "traditional teas." Goheung in South Jeolla is famous for its yuzu. Families make a jar of yuja-cheong (yuzu preserved peel and all) and spoon it into hot water all winter, especially at the first sign of a cold.

🌆 Where it’s enjoyed: On a cold winter evening, someone takes the yuzu jar from the shelf, spoons some into mugs, and pours over hot water for the family.

🥕 Ingredients (serves 10)

Yuzu 3 (about 300g)
Sugar 150g
Honey 100g
Salt a pinch
Hot Water 150ml per cup

👩‍🍳 Instructions

Scrub the yuzu with salt to remove wax and dirt, then dry well.
Halve, remove the seeds, and slice thinly (2mm) peel and all. Add any juice to the bowl.
Add the sugar and honey, mix well, and leave about 10 minutes until the sugar starts to dissolve.
Pack into a sterilized jar, leave at room temperature for 1 day, then refrigerate. It’s ready from about day 3, when the peel turns soft.
Put 2–3 tbsp (with peel) in a cup, pour over 150ml hot water, and stir. Eat the peel too.

💡 Tips for Success

Made with lemon it becomes lemon tea; with Chinese quince it becomes mogwa-cha — all winter favorites in Korea.
It keeps about 2 months in the fridge. Always use a clean spoon.
Topped with sparkling water it becomes a yuzu-ade, popular in summer. It’s also lovely stirred into black tea.

🍽 Goes Well With

Hotteok (Sweet Korean Pancakes)

Pajeon (Green Onion Pancake)

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