Interesting facts

The botanical term Cymbopogon is derived from the Greek kymbe = boat and pogon = beard. It describes the boat-shaped glumes and the densely clustered inflorescences which resemble a thick beard.
Caravans from tropical Asia brought lemon grass to Europe in the Middle Ages. Here it was used in the brewing of beer and the production of spiced wine. Lemon grass only really became part of our culture in the 1980s, however, both as an aromatic oil for aroma lamps and as an ingredient in the increasingly popular Asian cuisine.
The lemon grass in traditional dishes from South East Asia and Sri Lanka is always fresh, as dried grass is much less aromatic. The juicy, thickened base of the leaves is used because this is where most essential oil is found. The white inside is finely chopped and mixed into the food. Older, woody stems are best pounded and cooked whole with the other ingredients, and then fished out before serving. The lemony aroma with a hint of rose fragrance rounds off the flavour of a dish nicely. For a refreshing, thirst-quenching drink soak fresh leaves in cold water. In India lemon grass is used primarily for perfume-making and as a medicinal plant.
Anyone wishing to grow their own lemon grass plant can go into any Asian speciality shop and buy a freshly cut stem. Place it in water and the cut surface will produce roots. Plant the rooted stem and it will turn into an aromatic plant. Incidentally – fresh lemon grass stalks keep very well frozen.