What's the BIG deal with zest???

I'm sure all of you have heard or even have tried a recipe with lemon, orange or lime zest in it. The zest craze has seemed to intensify over the past year or so. You may be asking yourself is it that great, does it make that big of a difference, could I possibly just leave it out of the recipe.

I mean who really likes lemon, orange or lime rind? Have you tasted it by mistake? It's gross, bitter and disguisting.

But if you ever think of omitting this valued ingredient, it is a big, Big, BIG mistake! The answer is with our a doubt a resounding, NO!

Zest is so vital to the flavor of a dish, used appropriately it will make you dish, POP! The reason is because in citrus fruit the essential oils and a lot of the flavor is packed into the outer layer of the rind. I would agree that you need to be very careful in grating. You only want to grate the outer most colorful portion of the rind. If you grate or zest too deep you will hit the white portion which is very bitter and could ruin the flavor of your dish.

So to answer the question, the BIG deal is BIG FLAVOR!!!

Stay tuned because I will review the different zesters and graters out there on the market, see who wins out as Diva's favorite...

-DIVA