Produce
Lemongrass
ตะไคร้
Also called takrai, sả, citronella grass
A fibrous tropical grass whose lower white-green stalk holds a citrus perfume. It is the bone of Thai and Vietnamese broths and pastes, not a garnish leaf you nibble whole.
Origin
Mainland Southeast Asia. Thai takrai, Vietnamese sả and related names are the same plant used as a bruised stick or a fine mince.
Flavour
Lemon peel, ginger and green sap. The woody tops are milder and best left in stock.
How to use it
Trim the root and the dry tops. Bash the white end with the back of a knife and simmer it in tom yum, bún bò Huế or a curry, then fish it out. For a paste, peel off the woody layers and slice the tender core paper-thin, or it will be string in the teeth. Frozen minced lemongrass is useful if you fry it in oil to wake it. Do not drop a whole uncrushed stick into a short sauce and expect lemon — it needs time or surface area. The tops flavour a pot of rice. Dried stalks are a pale cousin; use more, and accept less perfume.
Storage
Fridge, wrapped, for a week or two, or freeze whole stalks. They keep their perfume frozen better than most herbs.
Recipes using it
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