Description

The thought of lemongrass conjures up images of the exotic, permeated by the aroma of spicy Thai dishes. This perennial plant, which belongs to the grass family, is native to the tropics. The smooth, bluish-green leaves of lemongrass consist of a short, closed leaf sheath and a long, open leaf blade that can grow up to 150 centimeters long and elegantly overhangs at the end. Tufts of grass that can spread up to 120 centimeters form the sharp-edged leaves, which smell aromatically of lemon when rubbed between the fingers. The base of the leaves is thickened, as new leaves grow within the sheath of the youngest leaf. This creates a ring of onion-like, nested leaves, with the oldest leaves on the outside. Lemongrass rarely forms spike-shaped inflorescences; it usually reproduces vegetatively, i.e., by offshoots.

When we talk about grass, as it grows in meadows, for example, we usually mean grasses. It's worth taking a closer look at the characteristics of this family. After all, in addition to lemongrass, it includes such important crops as wheat, rye, barley, oats, millet, corn, rice, sugar cane, and bamboo. What we call the culm is the stem of the grass plant. The leaves and flowers branch off from this stalk, which is divided by thickened growth points - the internodes. The wind-pollinated, very simple flowers of grasses are surrounded by small leaflets, the glumes. The flowers can be arranged in very different ways: in ears, as we know them from wheat, in panicles like oats, or in racemes, i.e. on unbranched stems that arise from the main axis.

Interesting facts

The botanical name Cymbopogon is derived from the Greek kymbe = boat and pogon = beard. It describes the boat-shaped husks and the multi-flowered ears, reminiscent of a thick beard. In the Middle Ages, lemongrass came to Europe with caravans from tropical Asia. There, it was used in brewing beer and making spiced wine. However, lemongrass only became truly popular in our culture in the 1980s, as a fragrance lamp oil and also as an ingredient in increasingly popular Asian dishes.

Southeast Asian and Sri Lankan cuisines in particular traditionally use lemongrass as a spice, especially fresh, because the dried herb has a much weaker aroma. The juicy, thickened base of the leaves, which contains the most essential oil, is used for this purpose. The white inner part is chopped and mixed into dishes. Older, woody stems are best cooked whole after being pounded until soft and then fished out before serving. The lemon-like aroma with a hint of rose gives dishes a well-rounded flavor. Fresh leaves placed in cold water make a refreshing, thirst-quenching drink. In India, lemongrass is more commonly used in perfumery and as a medicinal plant.

If you'd like to have your own lemongrass plant, you can buy a freshly cut stem from Asian specialty stores. Place the stem in water and the cut surface will develop roots. The rooted stem will grow into an aromatic plant in soil. By the way, fresh lemongrass stems are excellent for storing frozen.