While yuzu are usually too sour to eat directly, the citrus fruit is extremely popular in Japan as a seasoning, and for the intensely sweet perfume of its outer zest. Yuzu-flavored sweets are especially popular in winter, as the sweet-sour taste blends well with a wide variety of other foods. Another popular use in winter is to add the fruits to bathwater, where the oils are said to soften the skin and prevent colds.