Lemongrass (citronella grass or fever grass)

This is lemongrass in the photo. We grow them in our backyard so that it is very easy to harvest whenever we need it for cooking. It is a plant that looks like grass but used widely as an herb. It is rich in oil called citral which gives lemongrass its lemony taste.

Old people in our locality boil it as concoction to be used by postpartum women in bathing. I don’t really know the reason for this. I just take this plant for granted until my husband introduced it to me as an ingredient for cooking. That’s when I started growing it in my garden.

We use lemongrass as stuffing in fish that is to be broiled particularly bangus. We trim the stalks, cut off the woody root tip, bruise to release the aromatic oils, fold it and insert it in the fish’ abdominal area. Broiling releases the flavour from the herb into the fish. Just remove the stuffing before serving. We also use it in poultry dishes like tinola. Try it and your tinola will be the best ever.

As I read further about this plant I found out that it is a commonly used ingredient in soups, curries, and salads. It is so popular because it doesn’t turn bitter with long cooking. It is also used commercially as scent in perfumes, soaps, candles, cosmetics, creams, detergents, and as flavoring in non-alcoholic beverages and baked goods. It also has medicinal uses. I read that it helps in combating colds and flu, helps relieve cramps, headache, spasms, and rheumatism.