Lemongrass

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Lemongrass or Lemon Grass - very commonly found in Thai and Vietnamese food, an ingredient you can find in the grocery store (chilled herbs) or grow yourself. It is known as TAKRAI in Thai, XA in Vietnamese, and NINGMENG CAO in Mandarin and provides a citrus-like flavor that lemon juice cannot be used to substitute.

If you are purchasing in a store, you should use rules similar to purchasing celery. The stalks should be firm and crisp, not rubbery or soft. For lemongrass, the ideal stalk color is white at the bottom and light green toward the top. You should avoid purchasing any stalks that have a brown color - which means they are older and drying out. Depending upon where you are purchasing your lemongrass, the stalk can be anywhere from 6 inches to 12 inches or longer. I've found the local grocery store sells it in the chilled herbs section - by the cilantro, rosemary, parsley, etc. It usually costs a little less than $2 for two 6 inch pieces. You can store it in an airtight container in your refrigerator for about 3 weeks.

I've heard you can root a bulb end of a piece in water to start your own lemongrass plant. While this is not something I have done (yet), I am quite curious and may pursue this option. I've read you can keep it as a houseplant, as you can with a number of herbs, as long as it is facing a sunny window. It is also a perennial, so if you are growing it outside, you may have to bring the plant indoors for the winter.

You can soften the stalks to use in soup broths, use a sharp blade to chop pieces, or crush with a mortar and pestle. You can also use the top section, which really looks like grass, for soups and stews. The grassy section will brown if you are cooking in a pan.

There is also some research linking lemongrass to cancer treatment. There have been some studies using citral - the chemical that gives it that citrus-y aroma. Lemongrass is also supposed to have a number of health benefits, also. I haven't read enough about lemongrass and cancer cells to believe one way or the other (does it help or not) - in fact I came across an article that suggested one of the plant's chemicals may magnify side effects caused by some types of cancer treatments. Even webmd has it's own opinions - suggesting pregnant and nursing women should avoid using it. So before you jump to any hasty conclusions, make sure to do your research.

I'll be sure to include this ingredient in upcoming recipes, so check back soon!