Lemongrass | BBC Good Food

Skip to main content

• Subscribe
• Sustainability
• Good Food Shows
• GF x Gousto
• Download our app
• GF x Laithwaites Wine

• Recipes
  • Back to Main menu
  • New and trending
    • Back to Recipes
    • 5 star bakes
    • Spring recipes
    • Pie ideas
    • Traybake dinners
  • Newsletter recipes
    • Back to Recipes
    • Slow cooker ideas
    • Budget dinners
  • Sign up today
  • WhatsApp feed
  • What to cook
    • Back to Recipes
    • Quick and easy
    • Everyday recipes
    • Family recipes
    • One-pots
    • Slow cooker recipes
    • Traybakes
    • Air fryer recipes
    • Batch cooking
    • All inspiration
  • Occasion recipes
    • Back to Recipes
    • Ramadan and Iftar
    • Easter
  • Meal type
    • Back to Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Browse all meal types
  • Diet type
    • Back to Recipes
    • Vegan
    • Vegetarian
    • Browse all diet types
  • Explore
    • Back to Recipes
    • Ingredients
    • Cuisines
    • Chef recipes
    • Explore more
• Health
  • Back to Main menu
  • Welcome to Good Health by Good Food
  • Subscribe
    • Back to Health
    • Nutracheck
    • Healthy eating plan
    • Free health newsletter
  • Fitness
    • Back to Health
    • Protein 101
    • Marathon meal plans
  • Your health
    • Back to Health
    • Women's health
    • Improve digestion
  • Healthy eating
    • Back to Health
    • Vitamins and minerals
    • What to eat
  • Wellbeing
    • Back to Health
    • Sleep better
    • Eat for energy
• What to buy
  • Back to Main menu
  • Trending
    • Back to What to buy
    • Best Easter eggs
    • Best frying pans
    • Best chopping boards
    • Best coffee machines
  • How we test
  • Wine Club
  • More reviews
    • Back to What to buy
    • Best pan sets
    • Best knife sets
    • Best veg box
    • Best collagen supplement
    • Best coffee beans
    • Coffee pod machines
  • Taste tests
  • Drinks reviews
  • Gift guides
  • Browse all reviews
• Budget
  • Back to Main menu
  • Batch cooking
    • Back to Budget
    • Budget batch cooking
    • Healthy batch cooking
    • Veggie batch cooking
  • Leftovers ideas
    • Back to Budget
    • Leftover chicken recipes
    • Leftover rice recipes
    • Leftover potato recipes
  • Zero-waste
    • Back to Budget
    • Fridge raid recipes
    • 5 waste-free meals
    • Planet-friendly cooking
  • Budget meal plans
    • Back to Budget
    • Student meal plan
    • Quick family meal plan
    • 5-ingredient meal plan
  • Freezable feasts
    • Back to Budget
    • Freezable family dinners
    • Freezer-friendly pasta
    • Healthy freezable meals
  • Cheap eats
    • Back to Budget
    • Quick budget dinners
    • Thrifty family feasts
    • Cheap and healthy
• Easter
• Subscribe
• Subscribe
• Sustainability
• Good Food Shows
• GF x Gousto
• Download our app
• GF x Laithwaites Wine

Search

• Home
• Glossary
• Lemongrass

1. A
2. B
3. C
4. D
5. E
6. F
7. G
8. H
9. I
10. J
11. K
12. L
13. M
14. N
15. O
16. P
17. Q
18. R
19. S
20. T
21. U
22. V
23. W
24. X
25. Y
26. Z

Lemongrass|le-mon gra-ss|

• Good Food team

Lemongrass, or citronella, is a herb with a citrus-like flavour. Find out how to buy the best, and top tips to store, prepare and cook with lemongrass.

Ad

What is lemongrass?

Although lemongrass is central to Asian cuisine, especially Thai, it works well in Western dishes, too. Also called citronella or sereh, it grows in dense clumps, from which the individual stems are cut.

Lemongrass look a little like fat spring onions, with the same swollen base, but the stalk is woodier, and composed of tightly packed grey-green leaves. The fragrance and flavour is unique – lemony, but sweet – and is quite subtle until the stalk is cut or bashed. The stalks are available freeze-dried, too.

How to prepare lemongrass

You can use lemongrass whole, sliced or pounded to a paste. To use whole, slice off the very bottom of the stalk, and peel off any dried-out layers, then bash the woody top end with a rolling pin to soften, and help release some of the aromatic oils.

Whole freeze-dried lemongrass can be prepared in the same way. For chopping or pounding, only the bottom seven or eight centimetres are edible – slice off and discard the rest. Then chop finely or pound to a pulp in a pestle and mortar.

How to cook lemongrass

Use whole lemongrass in stews and curries (remember to fish it out before serving). Chop and use to make marinades and soups or add to stir-fries. Use as a flavouring for crème brulee or steep a stalk in a bottle of vodka for cocktails (clean and bruise a lemongrass stalk, then put it in a nearly full bottle of vodka for 3-4 days, shaking occasionally; then remove the stalks).

How to store lemongrass

Stored wrapped, in the fridge, fresh lemongrass will keep for a couple of weeks. Freeze-dried whole lemongrass should be kept wrapped up, in a cool, dark place.

Availability of lemongrass

All year round.

Choose the best lemongrass

Fresh lemongrass stalks should feel firm and heavy, with no bruising. If it feels light, it will probably have dried out too much.

Alternatives to lemongrass

Try lemon zest.

AdAdAdAd

Explore our recipe app

Subscribe now and get access to exclusive recipes, meal plans, podcasts and more.

Try today

Eating well made easy

Make healthy cooking easy and enjoy a year of Good Food All Access for just £44.99, plus receive a free stylish sauté pan (worth £59.99)

Subscribe today

Podcast

Our food team shares tips, techniques and their all-time favourite recipes in our lively weekly podcast.

More