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Citrus zest

Citrus zest is the colored outer peel of citrus fruit, grated or pared to flavor sweet and savory dishes.

Citrus zest — illustrative ingredient image

About Citrus zest

Citrus zest is the coloured outer layer of a citrus fruit’s peel, removed by grating, shaving, or paring. It contains aromatic oils and provides a bright citrus fragrance with varying bitterness. Fine zest appears as small flecks, while pared strips or broad pieces retain more of the peel’s surface.

It is used in cakes, biscuits, custards, desserts, drinks, marinades, sauces, dressings, spice mixtures, and savoury dishes. Zest may come from lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, or another citrus fruit, and the fruit chosen determines its colour, aroma, acidity-associated character, and bitterness.

The white pith is normally minimized because it is more bitter. Fresh zest is moist and aromatic; dried zest is lighter and more concentrated in appearance, while broader strips or candied peel remain visibly larger and have a different preparation.

Ingredient type
seasoning

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Where will you meet it?

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ON A MENU OR LABEL

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Where citrus zest appears

1 linked foods

Find foods to recognise by country and type. Recipes and products vary; these are recorded ingredient connections.

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Breads

Ingredient connections awaiting review · Coverage is still growing, including packaged snacks.

Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for citrus zest

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

citrus zest

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Citrus zest nutrition & diet

Citrus zest nutritional value

Representative benchmark: Spices, not further specified

Representative nutrition benchmarkOfficial table values for a comparable food category, not a laboratory measurement of this exact ingredient.

Per 100 g of 100 g edible portion in the named official reference form.

Calories
349kcal
Protein
12.1g
Carbs
30.5g
Fat
14.5g

Representative benchmark from a comparable official food-composition category; it is not a laboratory measurement of this exact ingredient. The displayed reference form must be considered, and species, cultivar, recipe, brand, processing and preparation can change values.

Portions & preparation

Match the reference to the colored outer peel of the identified citrus species, whether finely grated, pared into strips, dried, or candied. Exclude white pith unless included in the named preparation. Washing, blanching, drying, and cooking affect the edible portion and any added ingredients.

Compare the right form: Use a reference for the specified citrus species’ colored outer peel, raw or prepared as stated; candied zest and pith-containing peel require separate matching.

Diet considerations

Citrus zest is plant-derived, but prepared zest may contain sugar, syrups, oils, preservatives, coatings, or other ingredients. The fruit species and whether pith is included matter. Compatibility changes for candied, dried, infused, or blended products and depends on the portion used in the complete dish.

AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Not established
  • Vegetarian
    Not established
  • Pescatarian
    Not established
  • Keto
    Not established
  • Paleo
    Not established
  • Low-carb
    Not established
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Not established
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Vegetarian · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Pescatarian · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Keto · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Paleo · Not established
The ingredient form and processing have not been assessed against this dietary pattern.
Low-carb · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish kosher status.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: Pacific Nutrient Database 2020 — 01.1.9.4.0_99 ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .