Zest For Life Trivia Quiz

Answer: Limon

Domestic citrus fruits seem to have originated somewhere in the foothills of the Himalayas. The three main forbears of citrus fruit are thought to be mandarins, citrons and pomelos. Limon is the genus name for the cultivated lemon. Bitter oranges (although found in the wild and having a bitter taste) are considered to be crosses of the pomelo and mandarin orange.

Answer: A berry

A citrus fruit is a specialized berry called a hesperidium. A hesperidium is a berry with a leathery skin. Apples are an example of a pome, a fruit with a thick hypanthium - derived from the receptacle of the flower. A peach or plum is a good example of a drupe, essentially a "stone" fruit. An aggregate fruit is one such as a raspberry or strawberry that has many seeds (ovaries) from a single flower.

While these are the types of fruits that we often think of as berries, they actually are not considered berries botanically.

Answer: Druplet

A druplet is found in fruits such as raspberries where each druplet has a seed surrounded by a fleshy (and hopefully tasty) exterior. Fruit containing druplets are aggregate fruits and although often called berries, are not berries by botanical definition. The exocarp of a citrus fruit is the outer peel. A carpel is one of the sections. The seed is the unit of reproduction.

Answer: Zest

The zest of a citrus is commonly used in cooking. Zest contains most of the oils that are found in the skin of a citrus fruit and can be candied or used to flavor foods. The zest is generally not very bitter. The bitter portion of the fruit is actually the white, thick portion of the rind, also called the mesocarp. Generally, when cooking, you should avoid the mesocarp because of the bitter taste. Different products are made or extracted from the different parts of the peel. Both the locule and achene are botanical names for parts of a flower that eventually becomes a fruit.

Answer: Kumquat

Kumquats are the reverse of the typical citrus fruit with regard to taste. They have a sweet peel and sour fruit. They are often used in marmalades, but can be eaten raw as well. The taste is complex, because the sweet peel combines with the tart fruit when eaten this way. Kumquats have been difficult to categorize taxonomically.

There has been confusion about whether there are multiple species of kumquats, as well as whether they should have their own genus.

Answer: Potent carcinogen

Scientific studies indicate that citrus zest and many of the chemicals derived from the zest, are not carcinogens (do not cause cancer). In fact, some studies indicate that citrus zest and its products may have anticancer properties. In general, products made from zest tend to be safe and are effective against microorganisms.

This is why so many of these products are being developed as disinfectants and solvents. Another great reason for using these products is that they tend to be low cost, as citrus peels are a byproduct of orange juice manufacturing.

Answer: Limonene

Limonene is a chemical extracted from the outer peel (zest) of citrus fruits. It is named from the latin name for the lemon. It is most commonly extracted from orange peels because there are more of them around (due to the orange juice industry). Limon is the genus name for the lemon. Orangene is made up.

While citrus pectin is a byproduct of orange juice manufacturing, it is primarily used as a gelling (thickening) agent. Recent research indicates that modified citrus pectin may function as an anticancer agent.

Answer: Lemon

Sometime the obvious answer is the correct one. Lemon yellow #15 is derived from the zest of lemons. Despite being extracted from the oily zest, lemon yellow # 15 is water soluble. It is also quite light-stable when compared to other natural products. Because of the low cost of lemon peel, it also promises to be cheaper than other yellow natural dyes.

Answer: Grapefruit

While grapefruit juice causes most of the interactions; zest, seed extract and preserves may also cause interactions. Drugs that have adverse interactions with grapefruit include statins, immunosuppressants, calcium channel blockers and benzodiazepams, as well as other drugs. If you are starting a new drug regimem, it is a good idea to find out if it will interact with foods that you commonly eat.

Answer: Oranges

It is possible that lemons and grapefruits also have antibacterial properties that would work against tooth decay, but oranges are already being used in an organic toothpaste. Several studies indicate that oranges, as well as key limes and possibly apples have an antibacterial effect that may protect against tooth decay.