The Bold Citrus Flavor You'll Keep Seeing In Food And Drink In 2026

Social media, the internet, and globalization have made the world a much smaller place. Not only are we bombarded with foodie influencers sampling exotic cuisine in real time, but you yourself can easily obtain said exotic ingredients at your local grocery store or restaurant menu. In fact, many foreign or otherwise non-native products are quickly becoming the "it" food, stateside. And the bold citrus flavor you'll keep seeing in food and drink in 2026 is yuzu.

Native to China and popularized in Japanese cuisine, yuzu is a citrus fruit that shares characteristics with many more well-known citrus. Visually, yuzu is the size of a lemon with a bumpy yellow peel, yellow pulp and large white seeds. Its juice is as tart as a lemon but with subtle orange and lime sweetness, not too floral notes similar to grapefruit. Not only is the juice bursting with tart, sweet, and bitter flavors, but the zest is highly aromatic, bringing floral, honeysuckle essence to all manner of dishes and desserts. 

An article on Martha Stewart's website puts yuzu as one of the biggest food trends of 2026 according to the Specialty Food Association's winter trade show. Yuzu and citrus in general was also predicted to be one of the top food trends by Kroger's panel of experts. Furthermore, Kroger's panel and separate flavor trends review from Food Technology Magazine anticipate Asian-inspired mash ups to be the latest rage, so yuzu falls under two trendy categories.

While it may not be a snacking fruit like a mandarin or clementine, yuzu is a boon to sauces, drinks, desserts, and condiments. An easy swap for a lemon or lime, yuzu deserves to be the star of your next salad dressing. Its tart and subtle sweetness and floral aroma would work well in a vinaigrette with mustard and olive oil. You could also use yuzu's bright acidity to cut through the richness of tahini or peanut butter in a creamy salad dressing. We use yuzu juice, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and olive oil as the dressing for this scallop crudo.

Of course, yuzu is already a key ingredient in many store-bought Asian condiments like ponzu sauce, Yuzu Kosho, and even flavored soy sauce. All of these simple yuzu sauces make a great addition to marinades or, in the case of ponzu sauce, a dipping sauce for dumplings or tempura. You can also make your own yuzu flavored condiments like this yuzu mayonnaise with both yuzu juice and yuzu kosho paste, dry mustard, and a dash of sugar. Yuzu mayo would be a great foundation to an Asian slaw dressing.

As a citrus fruit, yuzu is a wonderful ingredient to incorporate into your next dessert recipe. It's tart, sweet, floral juice and rind would make a delicious cheesecake. Make yuzu curd with yuzu juice, egg yolks, butter, and sugar to fill tarts or pie crust. Create sweet and sour yuzu cocktails like margaritas.