What Is Limonene?
Limonene: A major aromatic compound in citrus peel oil, responsible for much of the fresh, sharp scent of zest.
In the kitchen
When you grate zest, the mist that sprays up and the smell that fills the kitchen come largely from the oils in the peel, and limonene is one of the main compounds in them. Lemon, lime and orange peels all contain it.
That is why zest tastes far more like the fruit than the juice does. It is also why the peel carries a stronger scent than the juice, and why a lemon smells so much better once it is scratched or rolled.
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