Zest (ingredient)

Scraped skin of citrus fruit

For other uses, see Zest (disambiguation).

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Zest" ingredient – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (September 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

|

Zesting an orange

Zest is a food ingredient that is prepared by scraping or cutting from the rind of unwaxed citrus fruits such as lemon, orange, citron, and lime. Zest is used to add flavor to foods.

In terms of fruit anatomy, the zest is obtained from the flavedo (exocarp) which is also referred to as zest.[1] The flavedo and white pith (albedo) of a citrus fruit together makes up its peel.[2] The amounts of both flavedo and pith are variable among citrus fruits, and may be adjusted by the manner in which they are prepared. Citrus peel may be used fresh, dried, candied, or pickled in salt.

Cross-section of an orange. The flavedo is zested; the bitter white albedo or pith is generally not used.

## Contents

* 1 Preparation
* 2 Variation between fruit
* 3 Uses
* 4 See also
* 5 References

## Preparation[edit]

More orange flavedo than white albedo; contrast with orange, right.

Zesting a lime; the white mesocarp is visible where some of the green flavedo has been cut away.

Slicing mesocarp from flavedo to make marmalade, using a flexible filet-style knife.

For culinary use, a zester, grater, vegetable peeler, paring knife, or even a surform tool is used to scrape or cut zest from the fruit. Alternatively, the peel is sliced, then excess pith (if any) cut away.

The white portion of the peel under the zest (pith, albedo or mesocarp) may be unpleasantly bitter and is generally avoided by limiting the peeling depth. Some citrus fruits have so little white mesocarp that their peel can be used whole.[3]

Dried mandarin peel used whole as a seasoning (chenpi in Chinese).

## Variation between fruit[edit]

The zest and mesocarp vary with the genetics of the fruit. Fruit with peels that are almost all flavedo are generally mandarines; relatives of pummelos and citrons tend to have thicker mesocarp. The mesocarp of pummelo relatives (grapefruit, orange, etc.) is generally more bitter; the mesocarp of citron relatives (Mexican and Persian limes, alemows etc.) is milder.[4] The lemon is a hybrid of pummelo, citron, and mandarin. The mesocarp is also edible, and is used to make succade.

## Uses[edit]

Zest is often used to add flavor to different pastries and sweets, such as pies (e.g., lemon meringue pie), cakes, cookies, biscuits, puddings, confectionery, candy and chocolate. Zest also is added to certain dishes (including ossobuco alla milanese), marmalades, sauces, sorbets and salads.

Zest is a key ingredient in a variety of sweet and sour condiments, including lemon pickle, lime chutney, and marmalade. Lemon liqueurs and liquors such as Licor de oro require zest.

Zest is used in some cocktails not only for flavor and aroma but also for color as a garnish. For use as a cocktail garnish, zest often is cut in a long spiral called a twist. Cocktails featuring a twist include Dry Martini and Horse's Neck. For maximum flavor and aroma, as in mulled wine, zest is simply cut from the fruit with a knife.

## See also[edit]

* Limonene

## References[edit]

1. ^ Bender, David (2009). Oxford Dictionary of Food and Nutrition (third ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 215. ISBN 978-0-19-923487-5.
2. ^ "Orange & Orange Juice". http://www.citrusbr.com/en/. Brazilian Association of Citrus Exporters. Retrieved 2021-02-18. `{{cite web}}`: External link in ``|work=`` (help)
3. ^ Karp, David (March 13, 2014). "The wild and elusive Dancy". Market Watch. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
4. ^ Seidemann, Johannes (13 June 2005). World Spice Plants. ISBN 9783540222798.

| Look up zest in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

|

| Wikimedia Commons has media related to Citrus zest.

|

* v
* t
* e

Culinary herbs and spices

Herbs

* Angelica
* Basil
* Holy
* Thai
* Lemon
* Bay leaf
* Indian bay leaf (tejpat)
* Boldo
* Borage
* Chervil
* Chives
* garlic / Chinese
* Cicely
* Coriander leaf / Cilantro
* Bolivian
* Vietnamese (rau răm)
* Culantro
* Cress
* Curry leaf
* Dill
* Epazote
* Hemp
* Hoja santa
* Houttuynia cordata (giấp cá)
* Hyssop
* Jimbu
* Kinh gioi (Vietnamese balm)
* Kkaennip
* Lavender
* Lemon balm
* Lemon grass
* Lemon myrtle
* Lemon verbena
* Limnophila aromatica (rice-paddy herb)
* Lovage
* Marjoram
* Mint
* Mugwort
* Mitsuba
* Oregano
* Parsley
* Perilla
* Rosemary
* Rue
* Sage
* Savory
* Sanshō leaf
* Shiso
* Sorrel
* Tarragon
* Thyme
* Woodruff

Spices

* Aonori
* Ajwain
* Alligator pepper
* Allspice
* Amchoor
* Anise
* star
* Asafoetida
* Peppercorn (black/green/white)
* Brazilian pepper
* Camphor
* Caraway
* Cardamom
* black
* Cassia
* Celery powder
* Celery seed
* Charoli
* Chenpi
* Chili
* Chili powder
* Cayenne
* Chipotle
* Crushed red pepper
* Jalapeño
* New Mexico
* Tabasco
* Cultivars
* Cinnamon
* Clove
* Coriander seed
* Cubeb
* Cumin
* Nigella sativa
* Bunium persicum
* Deulkkae
* Dill / Dill seed
* Fennel
* Fenugreek
* blue
* Fingerroot
* Galangal
* greater
* lesser
* Garlic
* Ginger
* Aromatic ginger
* Golpar
* Grains of paradise
* Grains of Selim
* Horseradish
* Japanese pricklyash
* Juniper berry
* Kokum
* Korarima
* Dried lime
* Liquorice
* Litsea cubeba
* Long pepper
* Mango-ginger
* Mastic
* Mahleb
* Mustard
* black
* brown
* white
* Nigella
* Njangsa
* Nutmeg
* Onion powder
* Paprika
* Peruvian pepper
* Pomegranate seed
* Poppy seed
* Radhuni
* Rose
* Saffron
* Sarsaparilla
* Sassafras
* Sesame
* Shiso
* Sichuan pepper (huājiāo)
* Sumac
* Tamarind
* Tasmanian pepper
* Tonka bean
* Turmeric
* Uzazi
* Vanilla
* Voatsiperifery
* Wasabi
* Yuzu zest
* Zedoary
* Zereshk
* Zest

Mixtures

* Adjika
* Advieh
* Baharat
* Beau monde seasoning
* Berbere
* Bouquet garni
* Buknu
* Chaat masala
* Chaunk
* Cinnamon sugar
* Crab boil
* Curry powder
* Doubanjiang
* Douchi
* Duqqa
* Fines herbes
* Five-spice powder
* Garam masala
* Garlic powder
* Garlic salt
* Gochujang
* Harissa
* Hawaij
* Herbes de Provence
* Húng lìu
* Idli podi
* Italian seasoning
* Jamaican jerk spice
* Khmeli suneli
* Lemon pepper
* Mitmita
* Mixed spice
* Montreal steak seasoning
* Mulling spices
* Old Bay Seasoning
* Panch phoron
* Persillade
* Powder-douce
* Pumpkin pie spice
* Qâlat daqqa
* Quatre épices
* Ras el hanout
* Recado rojo
* Sharena sol
* Shichimi
* Tabil
* Tandoori masala
* Vadouvan
* Yuzukoshō
* Za'atar

Lists and related topics

Lists of herbs and spices

* Culinary
* Australian
* Bangladeshi
* Indian
* Pakistani

Related topics

* Chinese herbology
* Herbal tea
* Marination
* Spice rub

* v
* t
* e

Citrus

True species|

* Australian and Papuan wild limes
* Citron
* Clymenia
* Ichang papeda
* Kaffir lime
* Kumquat
* Common mandarin
* Mangshanyegan
* Pomelo
* Ryukyu mandarin

Major hybrids|

* Grapefruit
* Lemon
* Lime
* Orange

True and hybrid
cultivars|

* Alemow
* Amanatsu
* Bergamot orange
* Bizzaria
* Bitter orange
* Blood lime
* Blood orange
* Byeonggyul
* Biasong
* Cam sành
* Cara cara navel
* Citrange
* Citrumelo
* Clementine
* Daidai
* Dekopon
* Encore
* Fairchild tangerine
* Florentine citron
* Forbidden fruit
* Haruka
* Hassaku orange
* Hebesu
* Heen naran
* Hyuganatsu
* Imperial lemon
* Indian wild orange
* Iyokan
* Jabara
* Jaffa orange
* Jamaican tangelo
* Kabbad
* Kabosu
* Kakadu lime
* Kalpi
* Kanpei
* Kawachi Bankan
* Key lime
* Khasi papeda
* Kinkoji unshiu
* Kinnow
* Kishu mikan
* Kiyomi
* Kobayashi mikan
* Koji
* Komikan
* Kuchinotsu No. 37
* Laraha
* Lemonade fruit
* Limón de Pica
* Lumia
* Mandelo
* Mandora
* Melanesian papeda
* Melogold
* Meyer lemon
* Micrantha
* Midknight Valencia Orange
* Murcott
* Myrtle-leaved orange tree
* New Zealand grapefruit
* Ōgonkan
* Orangelo/Chironja
* Oroblanco
* Palestinian sweet lime
* Persian lime
* Pixie mandarin
* Pompia
* Ponderosa lemon
* Ponkan
* Rangpur
* Reikou
* Rhobs el Arsa
* Rough lemon
* Samuyao
* Sanbokan
* Satsuma mandarin
* Setoka
* Shangjuan
* Shonan Gold
* Smith Red Valencia
* Sudachi
* Suruga yuko
* Sweet lemon
* Sweet limetta
* Tangelo
* Tangerine
* Tangor
* Valencia orange
* Variegated pink lemon
* Volkamer lemon
* Winged lime
* Xã Đoài orange
* Yuukou mandarin
* Yuzu

Citrons|

* Balady citron
* Corsican citron
* Diamante citron
* Fingered citron/Buddha's hand
* Greek citron
* Moroccan citron
* Yemenite citron

Mandarin oranges|

* Cleopatra mandarin
* Shīkwāsā
* Nanfengmiju
* Tachibana
* Willowleaf orange

Papedas|

* Celebes papeda
* Citrus halimii/Mountain "citron"
* Ichang papeda

Pomelos|

* Banpeiyu
* Dangyuja

Kumquat hybrids
(× Citrofortunella)|

* Calamansi
* Citrangequat
* Limequat
* Mandarinquat
* Procimequat
* Sunquat
* Yuzuquat

Sahul citrus
(former Microcitrus, Eromocitrus,
Clymenia and Oxanthera genera)|

* Australian outback lime
* Australian round lime
* Brown River finger lime
* Desert lime
* Maiden's wild lime
* Mount White lime (Microcitrus)
* New Guinea wild lime
* Russell River lime
* Clymenia
* Orange-flowered oxanthera
* Large-leaf oxanthera
* Wavy-leaf oxanthera
* Oxanthera brevipes

Related genera
(perhaps properly Citrus)|

* Poncirus/Trifoliate orange

Drinks|

* Calamansi juice
* Chūhai
* Curaçao
* Dried lime tea (noomi basra)
* Grapefruit juice
* Lemonade
* Limeade
* Orange juice
* Yuja-hwachae
* Yuja tea

Products|

* Calcium citrate
* Citric acid
* Lemonene
* Limonene
* Neroli
* Orange flower water
* Orange oil
* Orangeat
* Succade
* Zest

Diseases|

* Black spot
* Canker
* CTV/Tristeza
* Exocortis
* Greening
* Mal secco
* Phytophthora
* citricola

Citrus botanists|

* Clara H. Hasse
* Robert Willard Hodgson
* Lena B. Smithers Hughes
* David Mabberley
* Clément Rodier
* Robert Soost
* Walter Tennyson Swingle
* Chōzaburō Tanaka
* Ikuro Takahashi
* Johann Christoph Volkamer
* Herbert John Webber

Related topics|

* The Citrus Industry
* Citrus production
* Citrus rootstock
* Citrus taxonomy
* Cold-hardy citrus
* Hesperidium
* Japanese citrus
* List of citrus fruits
* Mother Orange Tree
* Orangery
* University of California Citrus Experiment Station
* University of California, Riverside Citrus Variety Collection

* Category
* Production
* Commons

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template