Take a grapefruit bath during the winter solstice
Grapefruit has a unique aroma that is different from lemon and lime, and it is unforgettable as long as you smell it once. Just add a small slice of grapefruit to the vinegar and clear soup, and the taste of the dish will be immediately sublimated, and a little grapefruit jelly will be refreshed after the meal. Yuzu is not only a good helper for cooking, but can even activate the cells of the body frozen in the cold winter. This is the ancient winter solstice custom - yuzu bath.
This year's winter solstice is December 21, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, and astronomically uses it as the beginning of winter. People also take a yuzu bath in a mood of avoidance of evil and pray for the elimination of disasters and diseases. This custom is still common throughout Japan today: rows of grapefruit are lined up on supermarket shelves, and grapefruit floats in the baths of hot springs and bathhouses. Smell the yuzu fragrance gently wafting from the water, leisurely soak in the body, and it is not easy to get cold after bathing. After that, you'll be able to fall asleep and, no doubt, wake up the next day refreshed and radiant.
Malu Village: A pioneer in the revitalization of villages with grapefruit
Yuzu is one of the largest citrus fruits in Japan, and Kochi Prefecture's grapefruit production accounts for half of Japan's total production, and is known for its largest production of grapefruit in Japan. A two-hour drive from Kochi Airport takes you deep in the mountains, where the village of Maru has been dedicated to the economy of specialty products since the 1960s and relied on grapefruit to revitalize the village. According to Motozawa Youji, who is in charge of publicity work in the village, "not only the winter solstice, but also the winter when it is cold, everyone often takes a yuzu bath"; "The smell of yuzu is fragrant, and after soaking it, I feel that my body is still warm, so I still often take a dip."
The oil squeezed from the fruit of the grapefruit is applied to the body to make the skin soft and smooth, while the essential oil extracted from the core can be used for hair. Therefore, Malu Village has been focusing on the development of beauty products based on grapefruit, such as lotions, serums, moisturizers and essential oils, and selling them as commodities.
Yuzu harvest at Tosa Kitagawa Farm (Photo: Kiyoichiro Kusano)
400-year-old yuzu bath
Yuzu is native to China and is said to have been introduced to Japan during the asuka (593-710) and Nara (710-794) eras. From ancient times to the present, Japan's bathing culture has advocated the use of nature's seasonal things to achieve health care. The yuzu bath during the winter solstice was believed to prevent colds, so it became a popular folk custom in the Edo period (1603-1868). Coincidentally, the Japanese word "winter solstice" (TōJI) is also in harmony with the Japanese word "TōJI" (宓治) for bathing in hot springs to treat diseases. In addition, during the Dragon Boat Festival (May 5) in May, the root leaves of calamus are placed in the bathtub to soak calamus bath, and it is also popular to pray for disease-free and disaster-free.
Yuzu, a specialty of Amachi Village (Photo: Kiyoichiro Kusano)
Make a yuzu bath at home
The "Road Hot Spring" in Malu Village has a grapefruit bath service every year during the winter solstice. Usually, grapefruit is placed in a mesh bag in a hot spring, but for the sake of photography, this time they are deliberately floated on the water.
To make a yuzu bath at home, if you put the grapefruit whole into the bathtub, then put a few more; but you can also choose three or two, slice or everything in two, put it in a mesh bag and then put it in the water. In addition, there are other methods, such as making a few incisions in the grapefruit skin or peeling a few places to let the grapefruit float on the water; squeezing some grapefruit juice in the bath water, and so on. However, if there is a wound on the skin or a child, it may feel tingling when soaking in the bath water of the yuzu bath, so be careful.
Yuzu cup, which can be mixed with grapefruit vinegar and cold vegetables, and can also be used as a sake cup for Japanese cold wine (Photo: Kitagawa Village)
According to Takashi Ohito, who works at the village government of Kitagawa Village in Kochi Prefecture, Yuzu bathing is not limited to the day of the winter solstice. In addition, a yuzu cup made by hollowing out yuzu can be used as a Japanese cold wine cup, and leftover grapefruit for cooking can be placed in the bathtub for yuzu bath. A few incisions are lightly made on the grapefruit skin, and the fragrance of the grapefruit is overflowing and can be used as an aromatherapy. Also, a grapefruit can last for two or three days, so you can often take a yuzu bath in winter. Daping smiled and said, "Just give my 4- and 2-year-old daughters a grapefruit each, and they will soak in the bathtub for a while, and their whole body will be warm." ”
Grapefruit is a panacea for longevity
Yuzu bath at the road onsen during the winter solstice (yuzu is usually placed in a mesh bag, Photo: Seiichiro Kusano)
The aroma of grapefruit is mainly derived from the peel, so when bathing in grapefruit, you should put the grapefruit together with the skin in the bath water. It is said that the "jasmonone" in the granular oil cells on the skin of grapefruit contains the essential oil ingredient "lime", which can stimulate the capillaries of the skin after being integrated into hot water, play a role in activating blood, and also relieve mental stress and nourish the skin. In addition, the vitamin C in grapefruit can promote blood circulation, warm the body, and improve immunity. The pectin in the grapefruit peel can not only regulate the stomach and intestines, but also remove carcinogens from the body. The citric acid and malic acid in the pulp help to restore fatigue and improve self-healing ability.
Cook dishes with grapefruit and feast on them, and the rest can be put in the bathtub for a bath. The refreshing fragrance, the beautiful appearance, the sound of babbling water, and the spring water that lubricates the skin stimulate everyone's five senses. In the yuzu bath, the physical and mental fatigue is gradually relieved. In this harsh winter day, we can't help but feel grateful for the wisdom of life left by our ancestors.
Interview and Author: Emiko Doi
Assistance: Avenida Village Hot Springs
Photo: Kiyoichiro Kusano
Let the produce fly
Thank you for reading this article, from translation, field shooting, editing, have condensed a lot of our hard work, if you can, please appreciate the support of us, your little support, are our driving force forward, will let us go further.