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Aroy Mak Mak

Lemongrass

ตะไคร้

Takrai: the lemony, floral stalk behind curries, soups and salads.

Lemongrass

Lemongrass is one of the three aromatics, with galangal and makrut lime leaf, that make the scent of Thai soups and curries. It is a tall tropical grass, and its pale lower stalk carries a bright lemon fragrance without any sourness.

Pronunciationdta-krai
FlavourFresh lemon and floral, with a hint of ginger
Used inTom yum, tom kha, curry pastes, larb, yam salads
SubstituteLemon zest with a little ginger (only roughly similar)

Which part to use

Only the bottom 10–15 cm of the stalk, where it is pale and tightly packed, is tender enough to eat. Trim the root end and peel off the dry outer layer or two. The tough green tops are full of flavour but too fibrous to eat; tie them in a knot and use them in stocks, rice, or a pot of tea.

How to prepare it

  • For soups such as tom yum and tom kha: cut into 5 cm lengths and bruise firmly with the back of a knife or a pestle so the oils come out. These pieces flavour the broth and are not eaten.
  • For curry pastes: slice the tender part into very thin rounds across the grain before pounding. Thin slices break down; thick ones stay fibrous.
  • For salads such as larb and yam: slice paper-thin and use raw. It adds crunch and a burst of fragrance.
  • For grilling: bruised stalks are stuffed into fish or used as skewers for minced meat.

Buying and storing

Choose firm, heavy stalks with a pale green-white base and no dry, brown patches. Wrapped in a damp paper towel inside a bag, lemongrass keeps for two weeks in the fridge.

It freezes very well: slice or chop it, freeze it flat in a bag, and use it straight from frozen in pastes and soups. Frozen pre-chopped lemongrass from Asian grocers is also good. Dried lemongrass has little of the fresh fragrance and is best kept for tea.

Grow your own

Supermarket stalks with a little root base will often sprout roots if stood in a glass of water on a sunny windowsill. Plant them in a pot once the roots are a few centimetres long, and they will grow into a large clump over a summer.

Cook’s tip

Smell the stalk after bruising it. If the fragrance fills the room, it is fresh. If you have to search for it, use more.

More Vegetables

All Vegetables

Recipes with Lemongrass

Kua Kling (Southern Dry Curry)

Stir-fries

Kua Kling (Southern Dry Curry)

Minced pork dry-fried in a fiery turmeric curry paste until every grain is coated, finished with shredded makrut lime leaves.

40 min · Medium

Tom Kha Gai

Soups

Tom Kha Gai

A mellow coconut and galangal soup with chicken and mushrooms, sharp with lime and gently hot.

35 min · Easy

Gai Yang (Isaan Grilled Chicken)

Grilled & Fried

Gai Yang (Isaan Grilled Chicken)

Chicken marinated in garlic, coriander root, pepper and lemongrass, grilled slowly over charcoal and served with jaew and sticky rice.

65 min · Easy

Tom Yum Goong

Soups

Tom Yum Goong

Hot, sour and fragrant prawn soup with lemongrass, galangal and makrut lime leaves, finished with lime juice and nam prik pao.

40 min · Easy

Sai Oua (Northern Thai Herb Sausage)

Grilled & Fried

Sai Oua (Northern Thai Herb Sausage)

Chiang Mai’s famous coiled pork sausage, packed with lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime and dried chilli, grilled slowly over charcoal.

90 min · Medium