Lemon Grass

Lemon grass, is, as the name suggests, a grass, and is native to India and south east Asia. When about 2cm across at the bottom, the stalks are harvested. The lemon-ginger aroma is found at the base where the stalk is pale green, and this is the part that is used. The outer tough leaves should be stripped off leaving the more tender core, which which is usually cut diagonally into thin slices. The thinner the slices, the more flavour is imparted, some recipes even call for lemon grass to be bruised or tenderised. Sometimes a stalk is used whole, especially in Thai cookery. The stalk isn't meant to be eaten and is removed.