Lemongrass
LEM-on-gras
Cymbopogon citratus
Bright, lemony, floral, grassy.
What it is
Lemongrass is the fibrous stalk of Cymbopogon citratus, a tropical grass with a clean, lemony, floral aroma that carries the same citrus compound found in lemon peel. It is a defining aromatic of Thai, Vietnamese, and wider Southeast Asian cooking, simmered in coconut soups and curries and pounded into spice pastes with galangal and chile. The outer stalk is woody and is bruised and removed; the tender inner core is minced. It brings citrus brightness without the acidity of juice, which makes it useful in long-simmered dishes.
What it pairs with
Goes wrong with: dishes that should not read citrus.
Common in Thai cooking.
Whole vs ground
Lemongrass is used fresh: the tough stalk is bruised and simmered whole, or the tender inner core is finely minced or pounded into paste. The woody outer layers are removed.
How to handle it
Bruise a whole stalk and drop it into soups and curries, then fish it out, or peel to the tender pale core and mince finely for pastes and stir-fries.
Storage
Keep fresh stalks in the fridge for a couple of weeks, or freeze whole. Minced lemongrass freezes well.
Buying note
Choose firm, fragrant stalks with pale, tightly packed bases. Limp or dried-out stalks have little flavor.
Classic dishes
tom yum, Thai curry paste, lemongrass chicken, pho garnish.
Out of lemongrass? Substitutes
No substitute is exact. These are the closest by flavor behavior, with the ratio to start from and how the result will differ.
| Use instead | Ratio | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| lemon zest | the zest of one lemon per two stalks | brighter and sharper, without the floral, grassy depth |
One odd thing
Lemongrass gets its scent from citral, the same aromatic compound that gives lemon peel its smell.