Mochiyuzu/Mochiyu

Mochiyuzu or Mochiyu is the Japanese name for a citrus fruit related to the sudachi with a sour flavour. It has the scientific name of (Citrus inflata Hort. ex Tanaka). It grows mainly on the island of Shikoku.

The fruit is one of the most popular in Japanese dessert cuisine (Delort & Naef, 2011). The juice is reminiscent of yuzu but said to be slightly sweeter according to any suppliers who offer it.

Mochiyuzu/Mochiyu Peel Oil

The peel oil was extracted using cold-pressing (Njoroge et al., 1995). The aroma constituents were analysed using capillary GC and GC-MS. Sixty-three aroma compounds were identified in mochiyuzu oil. One of the most prominent was myrcene along with beta-elemene, gamma-terpinene and limonene.

The peel oil has also been extracted from the flavedo using hand-pressing rather than a more conventional cold pressing although this difference in technique may produce only a slightly different composition (Minh Tu et al, 2003). Here the aroma components were analysed using by aroma extraction dilution analysis (AEDA) and gas chromatography–olfactometry (GC–O).

Minh Tu noted various components including neral, citronellal, decanal, neryl acetate, citronellol, geraniol and nerolidol. AEDA and GC–O apparently showed particular compounds associated most closely with mochiyu. These were myrcene, (E)-ocimene, cis-linalool oxide, trans-linalool oxide, β-copaene, perillaldehyde and perillyl alcohol.

References

Delort, E., Naef, R. (2011) Chapt. 2 Volatile Components in less Common Citrus Species. In: Citrus Oils: Composition, Advanced Analytical Techniques, Contaminants, and Biological Activity. CRC Press. Taylor & Francis Grp., Edt. G. Dugo & L. Mondello. Boca Raton Fl. USA.

Minh Tu, N. T., Onishi, Y., Son, U. S., Ogawa, E., Ukeda, H., & Sawamura, M. (2003). Characteristic odour components of Citrus inflata Hort. ex Tanaka (Mochiyu) cold‐pressed peel oil. Flavour and Fragrance Journal, 18(5), pp. 454-459 (Article).

Njoroge, S.M., Ukeda, H., Kusunose, H., Sawamura, M. (1995) Japanese sour Citrus fruits. Part III. volatile constituents of sudachi and mochiyuzu oils. Flavour & Fragrance J. (Article)