Lemongrass is a type of citronella grass that looks more like a bush than a flavorful ingredient. While it looks ornamental, each lemongrass stem is full of zesty aromatics used in many Southeast Asian recipes, including Vietnamese, Thai, Malaysian, and Singaporean recipes, and more.
What does lemongrass smell & taste like?
Lemongrass smells grassy with the brightness of lemon peels. The more you crush fresh lemongrass leaves and stems, the more aroma is released. When you taste lemongrass, you’ll notice a mixture of zesty lemon peels and a hint of spice similar to ginger, but not as sharp. The fresher the lemongrass, the stronger the flavor. I’ve purchased older lemongrass from the store, and it is never as flavorful as the ones from our backyard garden.
Where to buy lemongrass & substitutions
You can find lemongrass in Asian (99 Ranch) and American (Mother’s Market and Albertsons) grocery stores these days in fresh, refrigerated paste, frozen, and dried/powdered varieties. I prefer to buy fresh stalks because I can pick out the best-looking stalks.
There is no clear substitution for lemongrass in a recipe because of its unique flavor profile. However, if you’re stuck in a rut and really want a somewhat similar substitution, you could try lemon or lime zest, ginger (dried or fresh), or fresh galangal.
How to cook with lemongrass
You can harvest the entire lemongrass stalk; however, the bottom, closest to the root (where it’s white and bulbous), is where the flavor is strongest. We typically use the bulbous part of the lemongrass for seasoning and cooking, but you can certainly use the top, greener leaves for tea or stock infusions.
Lemongrass is so versatile because it pairs with so many flavor profiles. My favorite combinations are ginger, garlic, turmeric, coconut milk, citrus (lemon, makrut lime, calamansi), honey, and fish sauce. You really can’t go wrong when adding lemongrass to savory and even sweet ingredients because you can build on the zesty flavor.
Here are some of my favorite recipes with lemongrass:
- Vietnamese spicy lemongrass chicken (gà xào sả ớt)
- bò kho (Vietnamese beef stew)
- bún bò huế (spicy Vietnamese beef & pork noodle soup)
- Vietnamese pork chop (sườn nướng)
- Vietnamese chicken curry (cà ri gà)
- Thai Panang Curry w/ Beef
How to regrow lemongrass at home
Did you know it’s easy to regrow lemongrass at home? If you’ve ever grown scallions or green onions from scraps, then you’ll find growing lemongrass just as easy. My local grocery store sells fresh lemongrass, and I found a piece with the root still attached. I placed the lemongrass in a cup of water and let it sit by a sunny window, occasionally changing out the water every other day until it started growing white roots. I waited until several white roots had grown to about 2 inches long before planting it in a 2-gallon terracotta pot filled with soil.
We used a mix of Fox Farm Ocean Forest and Happy Frog for planting lemongrass. When planting lemongrass in the soil, plant only at the base of the original stem. You don’t want to bury it too deeply, or it could rot.
You can also buy a starter lemongrass plant from a local nursery. I purchased a small plant in a 4-inch container and repotted it into a 2-gallon terracotta pot for easier caretaking. Just follow the previous steps for soil above.
During the spring and summer, feed your lemongrass plant liquid fertilizer, such as Alaska Fish Plant Food, once a month. Lemongrass doesn’t need fertilizer during the Winter or Fall. To harvest lemongrass, locate the base of one stalk and twist until it loosens from the main plant and soil. Gently tug and twist to remove the stalk.
Storage after harvest
If you have leftover lemongrass, you can easily save it for future recipes by either freezing it into smaller pieces or drying it. In the past, I sliced my lemongrass stalks into ⅛-inch thin pieces and froze them in a container. Make sure to dry them as much as possible on paper towels before freezing; otherwise, it will be difficult to scoop out when you need them.
If you have a dehydrator, place about 2- to 3-inch-long leaves and process until they’re thoroughly dry. You can further process them into smaller pieces or into a powder for future recipes. Dried lemongrass should last around 6 months if stored in an airtight container.
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