Lemongrass is often used in tea in African and Latin American countries. Other popular uses for lemongrass are in soups, curries, poultry (ginger lemongrass chicken pictured to the right), fish and seafood. It can be dried, powdered, ground thoroughly with a food processor or pestle and mortar (for a paste) or used fresh by cutting off the lower bulb and removing the tough outer leaves. The lower stalk is a pale yellow, while the upper stalk is green. The stalk is the main section employed in Thai and Vietnamese cooking (combined with spices like chillies, garlic, and coriander) but their green stems can also used for soups and curries.
Lemongrass stalks are sold in bundles. They should be firm (rubbery stalks are not fresh) and the length is approximately a foot long. When cooking, cut into two to three inch pieces and either bend the stalk or make little cuts in the stalk in order to release the flavor. When finished cooking, remove the stalks from your dish, much like you would do with bay leaves. Want to take a shortcut? You can also find lemongrass in frozen form.
If you're wondering if this herb has any health benefits — yes it does! Lemongrass cools the body; it is good for digestion, and it is a mild tonic and stimulant. An infusion of the grass, mixed with black pepper is given in painful and difficult menstruation. Lemongrass and lemongrass oil are used in many cosmetic products and spa treatments.
Tom Yum Kung is a soup that combines garlic, coriander, chillies and lemongrass and it is a common Thai remedy in combatting colds, the flu and even cancer. A 2006 study in Israel found that lemongrass has anti-cancer properties, causing apoptosis or programmed cell death in cancer cells.
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