Korean Yuja-cha, Citron Tea

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Boseong Green Tea Fields

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Korean Yuja-cha, plated and ready to serve

Yuja-cha is a soothing hot tea made by stirring a spoonful of citron marmalade into hot water. It is Korea’s favorite winter drink and a classic remedy for colds. This sugar-free marmalade uses yuzu or lemon peel and allulose, and keeps for weeks in the fridge.

Per serving: 13 calories · 1.4 g net carbs · 0 g protein · 0 g fat (calculated from the ingredients)

What You’ll Need

Ingredients for Korean Yuja-cha

Korean Yuja-cha, plated and ready to serve

Korean Yuja-cha, Citron Tea

Yuja-cha is a soothing hot tea made by stirring a spoonful of citron marmalade into hot water. It is Korea's favorite winter drink and a classic remedy for colds. This sugar-free marmalade uses yuzu or lemon peel and allulose, and keeps for weeks in the fridge.
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Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Course: Beverage
Cuisine: Korean
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 13kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 yuzu or 2 lemons plus 1 orange for the peel
  • 1 cup allulose
  • 1 tablespoon grated ginger (optional)
  • Hot water to serve

Instructions

  • Scrub the fruit well with baking soda and rinse. Halve them, squeeze out the juice and remove the seeds.
  • Slice the peel and pulp into very thin strips.
  • Mix the peel, juice, ginger and allulose in a clean jar until coated. Let it sit at room temperature for 1 day, stirring a few times, until the allulose dissolves into a syrup. Then refrigerate.
  • To serve, stir 1 1/2 tablespoons of the marmalade into a mug of hot water. Eat the peel as you drink.

Notes

Yuzu is sometimes available fresh in late autumn at Korean and Japanese markets. Lemon with a little orange peel makes a very good substitute. Each serving here is 1 1/2 tablespoons of marmalade.
Chef's Tip: Remove some of the bitter white pith from the peel for a sweeter, more delicate tea.
Keto Swap: Store-bought yuja-cha is roughly half sugar by weight. Allulose creates the same thick, syrupy marmalade.
Success Tip: Stir a spoonful into sparkling water with ice for a refreshing yuja ade in summer.
Nutrition is calculated from the ingredients and is an estimate per serving. Net carbs exclude fiber and allulose.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 13kcal | Fiber: 0.6g
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Cooking Korean Yuja-cha in the kitchen

About This Dish

Yuja is the Korean name for yuzu, a fragrant citrus that grows well on Korea’s southern coast. The county of Goheung, also on the southern coast, is one of Korea’s largest yuja producers. Yuja-cha is technically not tea, because it contains no tea leaves; Koreans use the word cha for many warm infusions. Jars of yuja marmalade are popular gifts and exports. Many Koreans drink it at the first sign of a cold because yuzu is rich in vitamin C.

This recipe is from The Ultimate Korean Keto Cookbook by Gisele Costello, Chapter 12: Beverages (Boseong Green Tea Fields). See all Korean recipes

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