lemongrass
Also known as: Lemon Grass Leaves
A tall, fibrous grass with an intense lemony aroma; the tender, pale lower few inches of the stalk are minced, sliced, or bruised and simmered into Southeast Asian soups and curries. The tough outer layers and dry upper stalk are typically used only to infuse flavor, then discarded.
Buying guidance
Choose stalks that are firm and heavy with a pale, tightly wrapped base -- a stalk that feels dry, hollow, or yellowing has lost much of its aroma. Only the bottom third or so, the bulbous pale part, is tender enough to mince and eat; peel off the tough outer layer first, the way you'd peel a tough leek.
Substitutions
- Lemongrass paste, jarred -- convenient and ready to use; a little goes a long way since it's more concentrated than fresh.
- Lime zest plus a thin slice of fresh ginger -- approximates the citrus-forward aroma but lacks lemongrass's distinct grassy note.
- Frozen lemongrass stalks -- close to fresh in flavor; thaw briefly before mincing or bruising.
Tips & common mistakes
The tough outer layers and upper stalk stay woody and stringy no matter how long they cook, so use them whole or bruised to infuse a broth or curry and remove them afterward, rather than trying to eat them the way the tender minced base can be eaten.
Storage
Fresh stalks keep for a couple of weeks wrapped in the refrigerator, longer than most fresh herbs, and they also freeze well whole or minced without turning to mush -- worth freezing extra stalks bought at once rather than letting them dry out on the counter.