Lemongrass
Cymbopogon citratus · Herb
Top 10 pairings
A tall tropical grass whose pale stalks smell of clean lemon peel, without the fruit's sour bite. Only the tender base is eaten, bruised into tom yum broth or pounded into Thai and Vietnamese curry pastes.
Picking a good onedrag
Just cut, heavy and lemonyStraw-dry, woody, scentless
Shop firmEveryday bestThe all-rounder: curry pastes, broths, grills, tea.
Stalk colourOuter sheath dry, still tight
The squeezeFirm, outer layer a little loose
Cut endCut face dry, rings still tight
Scratch and smellLemon only after a hard scratch
Keeping ittap a temperature
A domestic fridge holds it about 3× longer than the counter.
95-100%
Humidity
Sealed bag, still air
Airflow