Mondo Knows Facts
Citrus aroma sits in the coloured peel, bitterness in the pith
Oil glands under the zest hold limonene while the white pith holds bitter compounds
The outer coloured layer of a citrus fruit is packed with glands of essential oil, mostly limonene, which gives the sharp fresh aroma used in baking and drinks. Beneath it the white spongy pith contains bitter flavanones and very little aroma. That is why zest is taken thinly and the pith is trimmed away.
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Tags: citrus, zest, essential oils
Citrus aroma sits in the coloured peel, bitterness in the pith: the short answers
- Where does this come from, and can I check it?
- Oil glands under the zest hold limonene while the white pith holds bitter compounds. The figure is taken from Encyclopaedia Britannica, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
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- Yes. It sits on the Food shelf, one of 1,090 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
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