Yuja tea facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Yuja-cha

Yuja-cha (yuja tea) and yuja-cheong (yuja marmalade)
Type	Herbal tea
Country of origin	Korea
Ingredients	Yuja-cheong

Yuja-cha (Hangul: 유자차; Hanja: 柚子茶), also known as yuja tea, is a special drink from Korea. It's a traditional Korean tea made by mixing hot water with a sweet, thick syrup called yuja-cheong (yuja marmalade). People in Korea love to drink yuja tea, especially when it's cold outside in the winter.

This tea is made from the yuja fruit, which is often called yuzu outside of Korea. Yuja fruits don't have a lot of juice like oranges or lemons. But they are special because they keep their tart taste even when cooked at high temperatures. Yuja fruits also have a very strong, pleasant smell that comes from their skin, juice, and natural oils. Yuja tea tastes a little bit sweet and a little bit sour at the same time. It also lasts a long time because it's a natural preservative. You can often find it sold in big jars in markets. It's also a popular home remedy that people use when they have a common cold. Yuja tea does not contain any caffeine.

The Story of Yuja Tea

The story of yuja tea began a long time ago. A man was bringing yuja trees from China to Korea by boat. But a big storm hit, and his boat was damaged. The yuja trees were lost, but some of their seeds got stuck in his coat. As he walked through Korea, the seeds fell onto the ground. These seeds grew into new yuja trees.

Koreans soon discovered that the leaves of the yuja tree could help with common colds. They would crush the leaves to use them. However, the leaves tasted very bitter. To make them taste better, people started preserving the leaves in sugar and honey. This sweet way of preserving the yuja eventually led to the delicious yuja tea we know today. Even King Sejong the Great, who created the Korean writing system called Hangul, was a big fan of yuja tea!

What Are Other Names for Yuja Tea?

Sometimes, the name yuja-cha can also mean the sweet yuja marmalade itself, which is used to make the tea. In English, you might hear yuja tea called "citron tea" or "honey citron tea." But it's important to know that yuja and citron are actually different kinds of citrus fruits. So, "citron tea" isn't quite the right name.

In places where Chinese is spoken, the tea is called "柚子茶." However, the Chinese word "柚子" usually means pomelo, which is another type of citrus fruit, not yuja. The Chinese name "柚子茶" came from directly translating the Korean name for the tea.

What Are the Health Benefits of Yuja Tea?

Yuja tea is well-known for many health benefits, even though scientists are still studying them. People say it has a lot of Vitamin C – about 2.3 times more than fresh lemon juice! The Vitamin C in yuja tea is thought to help your body's immune system. This means it can help you fight off infections and other sicknesses.

People also believe yuja tea can help with many other things, such as:

• Helping with the common cold
• Soothing sore throats
• Reducing fever
• Improving blood flow in your body
• Helping with seasickness
• Making your skin look healthier
• Making your bones stronger
• Helping with tummy problems like constipation and diarrhea
• Lowering blood pressure
• Improving skin discoloration

How to Make Yuja Tea at Home

You can easily make yuja tea right in your own kitchen! You will need citrus fruits (like yuja, lemon, or grapefruit), honey, and sugar.

Here are the steps:

• First, wash the fruits very well.
• Next, cut the yuja into thin slices and carefully remove all the seeds.
• Put the yuja slices into a bowl and mix them with honey and sugar.
• Finally, put this mixture into a clean container. Store it in a cool, dark place for about six months until it turns into a thick syrup.
• When your yuja syrup is ready, just stir 1 to 2 tablespoons of it into a cup of hot water. Enjoy your homemade yuja tea!

The sweet yuja syrup can also be used in other ways. You can add it to cocktails, spread it on toast, or even drizzle it over ice cream for a special treat.

Images for kids

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  Bottled yuja-cha

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  Korean yuja tea

See also

In Spanish: Té de yuja para niños