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Lemon grass

Cymbopogon citratus
Cymbopogon citratus
Did you know that… ?
  1. …lemongrass can be replaced by lemon peel and a pinch of freshly ground ginger?
  2. …lemongrass as a spice is used in Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian and Indian cooking, where it is added to soups, poached fish and poultry dishes?
  3. …lemongrass goes well with coconut and coriander?
  4. …lemongrass strengthen the organism, is effective against headache and has antiseptic and anti-rheumatic properties?
  5. …lemongrass repels insects, especially mosquitoes?
  6. …in 2006 a research team at the University of Israel discovered that ingesting lemongrass triggers programmed suicide in cancer cells?
  7. …lemongrass is an ingredient in many tea blends, essential oils and bath salts?
  8. …lemongrass as a spice consists of fresh or dried, whole or ground stems of the Cymbopogon citratesplant?
Lemon grass
Recipe

Hot and sour prawn soup

1 200 ml chicken broth
4 tablespoons fresh chopped coriander leaves
1 fresh, hot, green chili pepper
3 stalks lemongrass
lemon or lime peel
2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
500 g frozen prawns
chopped onion leaves and coriander leaves for garnish, salt

Clean and chop chili pepper, chop lemongrass stalks into 2.5 cm long pieces, and in a pot, mix all ingredients except prawns. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, so that all the flavors combine. Strain and set aside solids. Add thawed prawns to liquid, boil 2 minutes, to heat prawns thoroughly. Finished soup is poured into soup bowls, and garnished with chopped onion leaves and coriander.

Story

Lemongrass comes from Southeast Asia and was known in ancient Egypt over three thousand years ago. Besides Asia, lemongrass is currently cultivated in Africa, south America, Australia, Florida and California. Lemongrass is also easy to grow at home. A broken-off stalk easily takes root in a glass of water. As soon as roots appear, the stalk must be planted in a large pot, because it will soon expand. The lower stems and young shoots are used in cooking and add a pleasant, bracing but fleeting aromatic taste to many Thai, Malaysian and Indonesian dishes. Lemongrass may also be used dried or ground, but in Europe it can even be purchased fresh under the name seréh.