Setouchi Lemons
Ask anyone in Japan what they know about the Setouchi region and they will invariably say “Setouchi Lemon.” It’s one of the country’s few foods branded by the location in which it’s produced, with a name that conjures up images of the blissfully sunny, island-filled Seto Inland Sea.
Lemons can be found everywhere across the Setouchi, as the region accounts for nearly all of the lemons grown in Japan. The most famous growing areas are the islands of Hiroshima prefecture. Here, over 60% of Japan’s lemons are produced, with the islands of Ikuchijima and Takaneshima in the Shimanami Kaido Island chain accounting for half of that crop.
The name Setouchi Lemon also conveys a statement about its distinct flavor. A Setouchi Lemon is a variety of the modern lemon, which is believed to have first arrived in Japan in 1898 at the old trading port of Mitarai on the island of Osaki Shimojima. Over time, it has become a sweeter, milder-tasting, slightly larger, and juicier lemon than a standard lemon through a combination of natural mutation, hybridization, farming techniques, and the region’s favorable growing conditions.
Still, a Setouchi Lemon is no less filled with citric acid. Its extra sweetness serves to mask its sourness, giving a Setouchi Lemon a refreshingly more balanced sour-sweet taste. A bit like a Meyer Lemon, but without an orangey flavor.
In recent years, the islands’ lemon farmers have been revitalizing their orchards by planting thousands of new trees and farming lemons organically.
Lemons ready to be shipped to other parts of Japan from Ocho port on Osaki Shimojima Island.
A high concentration of citric acid is one of a number of benefits that has made lemons a staple of the Japanese pantry. Lemons are more acidic than Japan’s native sour citrus. All foods, especially vegetables, have some citric acid in them, which is why they taste better when this is intensified with a spritz of lemon juice.
Lemons are also rich in umami, at times rivaling that found in tomatoes, enabling lemons to enrich dishes as well as brighten their flavor. And lemons do both of these things without skewing flavor because their own delightful aroma and taste are relatively unassuming. This is especially true of the mild-flavored Setouchi Lemon, making it an excellent culinary companion to the delicately flavored seafoods of the Seto Inland Sea and many vegetables used in the region’s cooking.
Setouchi Green Lemons
Lastly, a lemon’s harvesting season is long and well-timed. It starts in January, just when the season of most of the native sour types of citrus ends, and extends for nearly five months until mid-May, and even goes on through the summer because the flavor of a lemon keeps well after harvesting if refrigerated. By late summer, the native sour sudachi resumes its role as the primary citrus used in cooking, followed by kabosu and later yuzu.
Setouchi lemon farmers have expanded the season for using lemons further by harvesting them early, starting in November, when they are green. Compared to ripe, yellow lemons, Setouchi green lemons have a fresher aroma and spicier taste; a flavor akin to limes.
Lemon’s Culinary Calendar
November-December: Immature, green lemons are harvested and mainly used as seasoning lemons.
January-February: Ripe, yellow lemons are at their peak flavor. Their aroma is the most fragrant, the peel is full of oil, and their taste is the most sour. Confectionary makers prefer these lemons.
March-May: Lemons are milder in aroma and acidity, and thus sweeter. This, however, can make them easier to cook with, for example, as when making lemon marmalade because a lower amount of citric acid makes gelling easier.
The region’s farmers grow their lemons organically or as pesticide-free as possible so that the fruit, especially the rind, can be used safely in cooking. This includes using rice husks and other natural ingredients instead of agro-chemicals to improve the soil. If a pesticide is applied to the tree, it’s done in late spring during the brief period between the last harvest and the flowering of the tree and emergence of the new berries that will become the fruit. Such low-pesticide lemons are branded Eco-Lemons. The rest of the year, lemon farmers, like Shintaro Takeuchi on Osaki Shimojima Island, employ rigorous pruning techniques to not only create safe lemons, but also ones with glossy, blemish-free skin.
Setouchi cooks and food makers use all parts of the lemon—zest, peel, juice, flesh, and whole fruit—in myriad ways, creatively incorporating lemons into Setouchi cuisine as well as innovating a wide range of specialty products and local dishes.
Lemon-infused sake, both still and sparkling; shochu-based lemon sour and lemon high ball cocktails; and lemon cider and lemon wine are among the many forms of lemon libations.
Choosing a Lemon
Look for lemons that feel firm and heavy for their size, which indicates they’re freshly harvested and packed with juice. They should also be brightly colored and shiny. A dull, pale color is an indication of an older lemon. Other than that, skin quality is not a factor. In fact, lemons that are mottled are a signal that you’re getting a lemon that’s been grown with little or no chemicals.
In cooking, lemons are used to season traditional dashi clear soups and comforting ramens. They’re added in slices to miso soups and nabe hotpots, in chunks to stir-fries, and in all kinds of shapes when making pickles.
Lemons are also used to make such classic master sauces as ponzu sauce, sushi vinegar, hot, spicy lemon kosho, and lemon miso, which is used to glaze baked seafood and roasted vegetables. A relish version of Middle Eastern preserved lemons is a salty-acidic fermented seasoning and condiment for use in practically any dish.
On Yuge Island, pig farmers go so far as to pre-season the meat by feeding the pigs lemons. A specialty known as Lemon Pork.
Across the Setouchi, you’ll find countless lemon snacks, such as lemon senbei rice crackers and lemon squid chips, and an endless array of lemon sweets, with the most famous being Setouchi Lemon Cakes baked in the shape of lemons, of which millions are sold annually.
And, if you’re dish isn’t bright or lemony enough, you’ll find lemon halves and wedges on the table alongside zesters and juicers to use as desired.
Green Lemon Ramen is a specialty at Maruya Cafe, located on the quay of a small marina on Shimo Kamagari Island. It’s a bowl of rich, chicken ramen served with a juicer and grater to allow eaters to season and flavor their ramen with green lemon juice and zest as they wish.
Best Way to Squeeze a Lemon
Bring the lemon to room temperate, then roll it around on the kitchen counter with your hand to loosen the juice inside.
Cut it in half down its length instead of through its middle. That way the membranes inside stay intact. This will help preserve the portion of lemon you aren’t using while making it easy to cut the lemon into attractive wedges.
Cut off a corner at one end of the wedge to create a small trough for the juice to flow out of. Then squeeze the lemon with the skin side down and the flesh facing toward you to make sure its aroma spreads upwards. The scent is a big part of the flavor and joy of lemons.