Harvested before it fully ripens to yellow, it is tart and not eaten as a table fruit but used to flavor sauces and marinades, desserts, and drinks in place of lemon or lime.

[5] The top producing communities are the township of Kamiyama-cho and the village of Sanagouchi-son; combined, they accounted for almost half of the prefecture's annual production in 2008.

[9] A half-slice of the fruit is served as garnish[7] with many traditional Japanese dishes which include fish, soba, udon, nabe, and even some alcoholic beverages.

[10] Ponzu (ポン酢, "pon vinegar"), a citrus-based sauce used in Japanese cuisine, often includes sudachi along with other bitter oranges (kabosu or yuzu juices, and daidai) as an ingredient.

[20][21] Also, the flavonoid narirutin is said to be the active chemical in the Wakayama Prefecture specialty citrus jabara juice that is said to diminish the effects of pollen allergies.

[22] In 2006, a Tokushima University research team published a report which suggests that the fruit may be effective in lowering glucose levels in diabetic patients.