A zester (also citrus zester or lemon zester) is a
kitchen utensil for obtaining
zest from
lemon
The lemon (''Citrus'' × ''limon'') is a species of small evergreen tree in the ''Citrus'' genus of the flowering plant family Rutaceae. A true lemon is a hybrid of the citron and the bitter orange. Its origins are uncertain, but some ...
s and other
citrus fruit
''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering plant, flowering trees and shrubs in the family Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as Orange (fruit), oranges, Mandarin orange, mandarins, lemons, grapefruits, ...
. A kitchen zester is approximately long, with a
handle
A handle is a part of, or an attachment to, an object that allows it to be grasped and object manipulation, manipulated by hand. The design of each type of handle involves substantial ergonomics, ergonomic issues, even where these are dealt wi ...
and a curved metal end, the top of which is perforated with a row of round holes with sharpened rims. To operate, the zester is pressed with moderate force against the fruit and drawn across its
peel. The rims cut the zest from the
pith underneath. The zest is cut into ribbons, one drawn through each hole.
Other tools are also sometimes called zesters because they too are able to separate the zest from a citrus fruit. For example, when
Microplane discovered that its
surform type
wood rasps had become popular as food
graters and zesters, it adapted the
woodworking tools and marketed them as "zester / graters".
See also
*
Grater
*
Oroshigane
*
Surform
References
External links
{{Kitchen Tools
Food preparation utensils
Bartending equipment