Yuzu Lemonade (ゆずレモネード) – Citrus Lemonade with Yuzu Juice

Yuzu is a citrus fruit from East Asia. Japan's largest growing region is Kōchi Prefecture on Shikoku. The fruit is smaller than a lemon, has many seeds and little juice. The aroma recalls grapefruit, mandarin and lime. Outside Japan you find fresh yuzu only in winter and at a high price, but an Asian grocery store sells pure yuzu juice in small bottles.

By Laura Chen · November 4, 2026

10 Mintotal

4servings

65kcal

JapaneseCuisine ›

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For the lemonade you boil a syrup from sugar and water and stir in the yuzu juice only once the syrup has cooled. If you boil the juice, the aroma fades. Topped up with sparkling water and ice, the amount makes 4 glasses. Without yuzu juice, mix lemon, mandarin and grated mandarin zest to get close to the flavor.

A thirst quencher from Thailand built on the same principle is Nam Manao with limes. Yuzu in a savory form is in the yuzu kosho dip with chili and in sudachi ponzu, a citrus soy sauce.

Image: AI-generated.

Yuzu Lemonade (ゆずレモネード) – Citrus Lemonade with Yuzu Juice

Name: Yuzu Lemonade (ゆずレモネード) – Citrus Lemonade with Yuzu Juice
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 60 g sugar; 60 ml water; 60 ml yuzu juice (100% juice); 700 ml cold sparkling mineral water; 200 g ice cubes; 1 organic lemon, in thin slices; Mint leaves for garnish

Laura Chen

Servings

Prep time

5 minutes

Cook time

5 minutes

Calories

Cuisine

Japanese

Ingredients

For the syrup:

60 g sugar
60 ml water
60 ml yuzu juice (100% juice)

To top up:

700 ml cold sparkling mineral water
200 g ice cubes
1 organic lemon, in thin slices
Mint leaves for garnish

Instructions

Bring the sugar and water to a boil in a small pot and stir until the sugar dissolves. Let the syrup simmer for 1 minute.
Take the pot off the heat and let the syrup cool for 15 minutes.
Stir the yuzu juice into the cold syrup. Taste and add 1 tbsp more juice if needed.
Divide the ice cubes and lemon slices among 4 glasses.
Pour 40 ml yuzu syrup into each glass and top up with 175 ml mineral water each.
Stir once, lay mint leaves on top and serve the lemonade right away.

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Yuzu Lemonade (ゆずレモネード) – Citrus Lemonade with Yuzu Juice

Ingredients

For the syrup:

To top up:

Instructions

Reviews

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Yuzu Lemonade (ゆずレモネード) – Citrus Lemonade with Yuzu Juice

Ingredients

For the syrup:

To top up:

Instructions

Reviews

Rate this recipe

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