GREEN CARA CARA KOSHO WITH NICO VILLASENOR
At Smithereens, Nico Villasenor serves as Chef de Cuisine, bringing years of experience across New York’s restaurant scene to this East Village destination. Having honed his craft at Four Horsemen and Fradei, Nico now plays a central role in shaping Smithereens’ menu — guided by a balance of precision, seasonality, and curiosity.
Smithereens has earned praise for its distinct personality — a New England–inspired seafood spot that blends the brine of the coast with the energy of downtown Manhattan. It’s this combination of regional respect and creative confidence that makes the Green Cara Cara Kosho feel right at home here.
His Green Cara Cara Kosho is a reflection of that ethos: a vibrant condiment that celebrates the ingredient in its entirety — without overcomplicating — and brings depth and brightness to everything it touches.
Kosho, a Japanese paste traditionally made from yuzu, salt, and chile, takes on a new dimension here, enhanced by the aromatic complexity of the Green Cara Cara — a variety of green citrus cultivated by Greg in Exeter, California.
Green Cara Cara is a perfect match for the salt and heat of kosho, Nico tells us. This fruit stands out for its vivid green skin and deep pink flesh, its thick peel rich in essential oils, and its balance of bittersweet juice.
Greg, our citrus grower who pioneered Green Citrus with us back in 2020, tends his groves with precision and minimal intervention; some of his trees are now more than fifty years old. That care translates directly into flavor: Green Cara Cara sings with brightness and perfume, its juice and zest adding layered complexity to Villasenor’s kosho.
Here, Nico pairs his Green Cara Cara Kosho with amberjack crudo, but its uses are limitless. “I like to use the kosho as is to really taste the nuance of the Green Cara Caras,” he says, “but I’ve used it in everything from marinades to salad dressings.”
Green Cara Cara Kosho captures the essence of Smithereens’ menu: bold yet restrained, built on seasonality, and grounded in the power of a single, exceptional ingredient.
GREEN CARA CARA KOSHO
INGREDIENTS
50g green cara cara zest
50g grilled long hot pepper
50g green cara cara juice
3% total weight in salt ~ 4.5g salt
METHOD
- Grill long hots until charred and softened
- Put long hot peppers in a food processor until a paste.
- Zest and juice Green Cara Caras
- Combine all ingredients
- Add 3% salt, store in a clean, sterilized jar, and leave out at room temperature for approximately 5-7 days.
- Stir once a day until the kosho is ready.
- Store in the refrigerator once it’s ready, and it will last a few months.
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