【Reading】ゆうあんづけ

【English Name】Yuan-zuke (citrus soy marinade)

Yuan-zuke refers to a uniquely Japanese culinary technique in which fillets of fish are soaked for several days in a seasoning liquid called "yuan-ji"—made by combining soy sauce, sake, and mirin in equal proportions and mixing in round slices of yuzu—to impart flavor.

The person said to have devised this cooking method was Yuan Kitamura (Yuan Katata), a tea master and pursuer of fine food who was active in the Edo period. Historically, characters other than "幽庵" have also been assigned to the name, including "幽安," "柚庵," and "祐庵."

Fish such as barracuda, young yellowtail (inada), Japanese Spanish mackerel (sawara), tilefish (amadai), and Pacific pomfret (managatsuo) are suited as ingredients for marinating, and examples prepared with chicken can also be seen. Wiping the moisture from the marinated ingredient and grilling it yields yuan-yaki, while steaming it yields yuan-mushi.

Its appeal lies precisely in the way the refreshing fragrance brought by yuzu layers with the sweet-savory taste of soy sauce and mirin, allowing the flavor to permeate deep into the ingredient, and it has been widely used as a representative seasoning technique for grilled dishes in Japanese cuisine. There are also artisans at sushi restaurants who incorporate it into the preparation of white-fleshed fish.