Cookbook:Lemongrass

| Spices and herbs

Cymbopogon citriodora West-Indian lemon grass Cymbopogon flexuosus East-Indian lemon grass Cymbopogon winterianus Jowitt Citronella grass Cymbopogon martini

Lemon grass or lemongrass is a perennial herb used in Asian (particularly Thai and Vietnamese) and Caribbean cooking. It has a lemony flavor and can be dried and powdered, or used fresh. Commonly used in teas, soups, and curries it is also suitable for poultry, fish and sea food.

There are over 50 species of Cymbopogon. The East-Indian lemon grass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) is native to India, Sri Lanka, Burma and Thailand while the West-Indian lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus) is assumed to have its origins in Malaysia. While they both can be used interchangeably C. citratus is more suited for cooking. In India C. citratus is used both as a medicinal herb and in perfumes.

Other species used in the perfume industry are Cymbopogon martini distilled into palmarosa oil and citronella grass (Cymbopogon winterianus Jowitt).