all about spices and herbs

Synonyms: West Indian lemongrass
Form of use: stalks, fresh and dried, cut into pieces and ground.
Origin: lemongrass is native to tropical Southeast Asia. The plant is cultivated in India, Africa, Australia and America today.
Aroma: lemongrass is very sour, fresh and similar to lemon with a trace of rose odor.
Use: lemongrass is used mainly in Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian and Indian cuisines. It is used to season soups, stewed fish and poultry dishes. It goes well with coconut, chili and green coriander.
Buying/storing: dried lemongrass is available in Asian specialty stores and groceries carrying natural food. Fresh lemongrass is available in Asian markets.
Properties: up to 6 ft high tropical grass grows from a tuberous root. It is a perennial and grows in thick tufts.
The long, pointed leaves of the herbs are similar to grass. Only very young, thin leaves, finely cut, can be used for cooking. Older leaves are tasteless and tough.

Tips for cooking:
Use a saw knife to cut fresh lemongrass because the plant is very tough. Lemon grass is cooked in fondue, but is not eaten raw because it is fibrous and too tough to chew. However, you can prepare a refreshing tea using lemon grass. Let it steep for at least 10 minutes because the aroma is released very slowly.