Market Watch: What Winter Citrus Bushi Tei's Chef Michael Hung Gets from the Farmers Market
06 January 2012
Winter citrus is finally abundant at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market and, with new varieties appearing each week, many of the city’s best and brightest chefs will be snapping it up through the winter months. On Saturdays you’ll find them congregating behind the booth at Hamada Farms, waxing poetic about how they’ll be using those Bearss limes or Oro Blanco grapefruits as they wait for farmer Clifford Hamada to fill their orders.
Michael Hung of Bushi Tei restaurant was at the market recently with his heart set on Sudachi, a small, round, green citrus fruit. The Sudachi can be quite acidic and is often used as a component in ponzu sauce. “We don’t use much vinegar at the restaurant, but we do use citrus juice quite a bit,” Michael told me, as he selected his fruit. “It just seems to add a little more levity and brightness. The Sudachi has a cool, musky flavor that gives a nice dimension to many of our dishes.”