Using lemongrass

Question

Which part of the lemon grass do you use or do you use all of it?

Answer

A tall, clumping, sharp-edged aromatic tropical grass that both smells and tastes of lemon, lemon grass comes by its English name naturally.

It arrived in our kitchens by way of Southeast Asia, where it is an essential ingredient in day-to-day cooking called takrai, serai or serah, words often seen on Thai and Malay menus in this country.

As the popularity of these cuisines has grown, demand for lemon grass has increased, and it can be found — fresh, dried, powdered and frozen — in supermarkets and greengrocers as well as Asian food shops.

Its refreshingly light taste is less citric or “bitey” than lemon, and carries with it a hint of ginger; however, its similarity to lemon means it marries well with chilli, garlic and coriander.

It is best used in curry pastes, marinades, soups and sauces because the wetness in such mixtures draws out the grass’s essential oil. Lemon grass can be chopped very finely as an ingredient in stir-fries, casseroles and stews, or to flavour steaming or poaching fish; it is also used in cocktails and as a delightfully aromatic tea.

When using lemon grass, discard the tough outer leaves and bottom root portion.

Slice the white bulbous section into rings or into long strips if you intend to remove the herb from the cooked dish, then bruise the pieces with the side of a heavy knife to release the flavour before adding to what you’re cooking.

Belonging to the same grass family as citronella, lemon grass is also cultivated in many countries for cosmetics manufacturing (perfume, soap and hair products) and as a medicinal herb: lemon grass oil is considered to have antiseptic properties, and is used as an anti-flatulent and as an insect repellent.

Pic: Ella Brodie-Reed/ bauersyndication.com.au

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