Daidai

Daidai is a small bitter orange widely grown in Japan, although it is not native to the country: its roots can be found in the Himalayas. But who cares! This curious citrus fruit can hang on to its tree for several years and change colour in a rather absurd way: in fact, it turns green again in spring if no-one picks it. Perhaps that’s why its name means “from generation to generation” in Japanese.

Daidai are not eaten fresh because they are too bitter, but their juice is used to make the original ponzu sauce. It can also be found in Hitachino Nest’s Daidai IPA!

Kampo, traditional Japanese medicine derived from traditional Chinese medicine, considers this citrus fruit to be highly beneficial for digestion.