Lemon Grass

Scientific name: Cymbopogon citratus
Common name: Serai
Family: Poaceae 

Native Plant of India

The lemon grass plant grown in many parts of South East Asia. Here, we call it the serai plant in malay.

Lemon grass is widely used in many Asian dishes, particulary Thai, Malaysian and Vietnamese cuisine. We cut away the top leafy portion and use only the lower section of the stem for cooking. It has a lemon scent and somewhat citrus-ginger taste. We use it to cook curry, tom yam soup, spicy seafood and even when we fry chicken. We can find this plant in almost every home, especialy in the countryside. Even if we don't grow lemon grass at home, we can easily buy it from the markets.

When growing the lemon grass plant, it is better not to plant it directly on to the soil but to put the stems in a container of water and let it stand for a few days until roots start to form.

After the outer dried leaves are removed, it will reveal some new shoots. Now, it is time to plant it in soil in a container or on the ground. It is very very easy to plant and there is hardly any problem with pests. I guess pests don't like the lemongrass smell. When the leaves gets too bushy, it should be trimmed down for a neater look.

The many uses of lemongrass:

• teas, soups, curries
• a species of lemongrass i.e. citronella grass is used to make citronella oil which is used as soap, insect repellent and in aromatherapy
• lemongrass oil has antifungal properties
• medicinal herb to cure cough and colds in ancient Indian ayurvedic treatments
• research has shown that it has anti-cancer properties

Because of this anti-cancer findings/news, there are many health enthusiasts who would DIY and take the homemade lemon grass drinks. Here, lemongass is finely chopped and steeped in a pot of hot water for an hour before drinking it. Some like to drink it chilled. I'm tempted to try this too. I really love the scent of lemon grass leaves. I'm thinking of making a potpourri using the leaves and chopping the lower part to make the health drink. After drinking lemon grass potion, I'll try to have a good night's sleep with lemon grass potpourri under my pillow. Perhaps I'll report the findings in another post.