Lemongrass plant has many names. It is often referred to as lemon sorghum, and cymbopogon, and lemon grass, and even shornoborodnik. It is used mainly as a spice, however, lemongrass can also be used for medical purposes.
Pick your recipe
Outwardly, lemongrass resembles a sprawling bush, consisting of thin, long and fairly dense leaves with pointed edges. They are then used as a spice. Some types of such lemon grass can reach a height of 2 m. This plant grows mainly on the African continent, in Thailand, Malaysia, India, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia. In some African countries, it is planted to get rid of flies and various insects, which are scared away by the pronounced aroma of lemongrass.
The use of lemongrass in cooking
As a spice, lemon grass is especially widely used in Caribbean and Asian cuisines. It is added to a variety of dishes - from soups to desserts. It goes well with meat, fish, cereals and vegetables. Thanks to its citrus-ginger taste and aroma, it makes dishes more interesting and piquant. Lemongrass, for example, is part of the classic recipe for the popular Thai Tom Yam soup.
Usually, lemon grass is used in dry ground form, adding it to dishes almost at the very end. However, fresh leaves are often used in the homeland of this plant. To do this, they are finely cut, put in a dish during cooking, and before serving, they get it out, since they are quite tough. Naturally, in the latter case, the spice gives off much more aroma and taste.
The lemongrass pulp is sometimes used as a marinade for meat or fish. For this purpose, the hard surface of the leaves is cut off, and what remains under them is rubbed and applied to pieces of meat. In this case, it turns out to be soft, juicy, aromatic and has a spicy citrus flavor.
Lemon grass goes well with other spices, such as cinnamon, garlic, ginger, black pepper and chili. You can also use it with various herbs: parsley or fragrant cilantro. An interesting taste of the dish will turn out if added to lemongrass along with coconut milk.