History

Lemon growing took hold on the islands of the Seto Inland Sea because the climate is mild, the rainfall is low and the terraced slopes drain fast. Hiroshima prefecture became the leading domestic producer, and the fruit is now a regional identity marker rather than just an ingredient: it appears in craft beer at Sessions Brewery, in momiji manju fillings on Miyajima, and in the citrus salt that comes with grilled oysters. Because the peel is eaten as often as the juice, unwaxed island fruit is sold at a premium.

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Make it at home

Yield Makes about 200mlHands-on 15 minTotal 30 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 4 unwaxed lemons
  • 150g caster sugar
  • 150ml water
  • 1 pinch fine sea salt

Method

  1. Scrub the lemons and pare the zest from two of them in wide strips, avoiding the white pith.
  2. Juice all four lemons and strain the juice.
  3. Warm the sugar, water and zest strips together until the sugar dissolves, then simmer for 3 minutes.
  4. Take the pan off the heat and leave the zest to steep for 15 minutes.
  5. Strain out the zest, stir in the lemon juice and the salt, and cool completely.
  6. Keep refrigerated and use over soda, in a sour, or brushed onto grilled fish.

Tip from the editors. Steep the zest off the heat rather than boiling it. Boiled peel turns the syrup bitter within a couple of minutes.

Where to eat setouchi lemon

Setouchi lemon in Hiroshima

Sessions Brewery and Beer Hall ★ 4.2

¥¥ BrewerySmall-batch craftDohashi

Sessions Brewery brews in 100 to 150 litre batches at Tokaichimachi and serves them in its own Hiroshima beer hall with house tacos and smoked snacks.

TipThe brewery leans on local flavours with the Oyster City Stout and the Hiroshima Lemon Ale, both worth asking after by name.

Directions

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