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| Yuzu, macadamia, tamarillo, Banana bread. All from the garden |
In 1976, the beautiful and irrepressible Mrs Kinoshita planted a Yuzu seed in her Sydney garden, and waited faithfully.
Finally, this year the tree went berserk, and created 34 years worth of rare citrus fruits, all in one go.
So I had to make the trip out, to see this sight, meet this lady, and get some gold in my hands.
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| Yuzu finally fruiting in Suburban Sydney |
You see, I have reproduction on my mind.
Grafting.
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| Cecilia and Kinoshita-san |
When I planned my first Japanese Edible Garden, back in Inner Melbourne, the beautiful Fragrant Yuzu was first tree on my list. You just can't get them in the shops, and I had visions of everyone coming and visiting my house, to sample the Yuzu in my new garden.
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| Cecilia's Japanese-hybrid Edible Garden |
How did it go?
Even the best nurseries had never even HEARD of Yuzu.
My dream went all quiet.
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| Chawan Mushi, Japanese savory custard. I helped make it! |
Yuzu is an essential ingredient in Ponzu, the beautiful dipping sauce that sometimes comes with oysters, at fancy restaurants.
A curl of Yuzu rind is indispensable for making the lovely savoury custard, chawan mushi, full of treasures.
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| Broad bean seedlings grow in the balcony greenhouse |
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| One corner of Mrs Kinoshita's huge edible garden |
This winter, my mates and I are preparing a Japanese edge garden Project, for growing, cooking and eating cuisine that will get you living to be very very old, and having a thrilling, love-filled time, the whole way.
Who is going to lead a grafting workshop for us?
I'm new to Sydney, and don't know where to get the rootstock.
Contact me if that's something you are good at.
Contact me if its something you aren't good at yet, and want to be.
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| Reproducing, the grafting technique |
Most people don't know it, but pretty much every fruit you buy is grown from a clone.
They choose a really nice branch of a guaranteed-delicious fruit tree, and splice it onto a boring but reliable 'base', or rootstock.
Learn to do this, and your life will be rich and delicious.
Kinoshita-san now 80, immensely active, and proof that getting older makes you richer automatically. The trick is, invested in gardens
Useful Links:
Grafting workshop at Sydney Permaculture Institute July 22, 2012
How to make Yuzu Ponzu
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5 comments:
Hei Cecilia!
I wonder if you with all your Japanese contacts know a Japanese photographer who can make pictures of Alexander's the EISHIN CAMPUS for me? She/he can just upload the images to Wikimedia Commons, and then I can use them from there. I will of course credit the photographer with her/his name whenever using the photo. About the EISHIN CAMPUS here:
http://www.livingneighborhoods.org/ht-0/eishincampus.htm
http://www.architectureweek.com/2005/0727/culture_1-1.html
Please help me with this! The Eishin Campus is Alexander's most important work, but there are no images from it at Wikimedia Commons.
Awesome Cecilia,
Count us in, we are soon to do a large planting of frost hardy citrus and yuzu would fit right in.
I have to get some rootstock for our conditions soon.... maybe once I do I can give you a call for some scion material?
Yay for Yuzu
Hi Cecilia! I am desperate to get my hands on some yuzu fruits! Did you manage to plant it and cultivate this year? Further to that, my friend is a pro in backyard gardens and cloning so I should put you both in touch, she is in Bondi.
Kindest,
Rachel
Where can I get a Yuzu tree?
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