Zest (ingredient)

Zest is the outer, colorful skin of citrus fruit, known botanically as the exocarp. It is often used to add strong flavor to foods, such as lemon meringue pie, sorbets and salads.Zest has become a synonym for spice, strong flavor or interesting taste.To remove the zest, a zester, vegetable peeler, paring knife, or even a wood rasp is used to scrape the colored part of the peel off. The white membrane under the zest (pith or mesocarp) is unpleasantly bitter and generally avoided by limiting the peeling depth. The white membrane can be used for cooking when the entire thickness of the peel is candied; however, this is not considered zest.
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