I can’t recall exactly where I came across these two rather scrawny blades of grass labelled “lemon grass,” but I planted them in my garden and patiently waited for them to flourish and multiply, turning into large clumps of exotically aromatic stalks that would soon be enhancing my Thai dishes. How hard should it be to grow grass!

Lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus) is native to Southeast Asia and closely related to the grass that produces citronella. The principal flavouring component in lemon grass is citral, the same oil found in lemon rind. Like citronella, it has a lemon scent, but with an added hint of rose.

 Lemon grass is a key ingredient in Thai and Vietnamese cooking, along with limes, kaffir lime leaves, chillies, fish sauce, galangal, ginger, and cilantro. The classic Thai soup called Tom Yum is a simple broth seasoned with lemon grass, lime juice, and fish sauce with bits of seafood or other meats floating in it. Go into any Thai noodle house and order a Pad Thai; you will be able to pick out the scent and flavour of lemon grass.

Thai food is well-recognized for using only fresh ingredients. It helps that in Thailand, pretty well everything grows all year. Thai curry paste is properly made from fresh lemon grass, garlic, shallots, lime, and chillies. Fortunately there are also some very good commercial preparations of Thai curries; hold the Sudan I food colouring, please!

The best way to use lemon grass for any recipe is fresh.  When you pick it up and slightly press the lower end of the stalk, you should easily get a strong lemon smell.

Some recipes ask for chopped lemon grass. This means the lower 1/3 of the stalk, peeled to reveal its tender core. These pieces can be left in the dish and usually eaten.

 When a recipe calls for a “bruised” stalk, it is intended that the whole stalk, trimmed and often cut in half lengthwise, be added to the dish while cooking and then removed. Bruising breaks down some of the cellulose and cell walls of the plant, allowing the essence to escape.

As Thai food became increasingly popular in North America, there was more demand for fresh ingredients, and today, we can find fresh lemon grass from California or Florida in most grocery stores. Fresh lemon grass can be kept at room temperature in a jar of water, changing the water daily. This will keep for several weeks, or, if you are lucky, they will begin to root, and then you can plant the stuff. It can also be wrapped tightly and kept in the fridge or even frozen.

When fresh is not available, you can easily find dried. This stuff looks like wood shavings, and must be soaked in hot water for an hour in order to make the pieces edible. Powdered lemon grass, commonly called sereh powder, is also available for dishes when only the flavour is required.

 When absolutely no lemon grass can be found, lemon zest or lemon balm may be used, although neither with that same heady perfume of the real thing.

Or you can grow your own. Keeping in mind where this grass comes from, it shouldn’t take a plant expert to realize that it likes warm weather, plenty of moisture in a well-drained, even sandy soil. Because the grass is extremely cold sensitive, it is even better to grow it in pots that can be kept in a south-facing window during the winter.

As the plant grows, the base becomes more bulb-like and begins to section off. These segments can be split to propagate even more clumps. I wouldn’t know; after over two months, I have an only slightly taller blade of grass than I started with.

Lemon grass is sometimes called incorrectly Citronella, and sometimes Lemon Herb or Fever grass, something which may have to do with its medicinal properties.  Oil of lemon grass has been used to treat digestive problems, rheumatism, sore muscles, headaches, and just, plain old bad moods. It can be taken as a tea or used in an aromatherapy bath. It also has antibacterial properties and is found frequently in sachets and perfumes.

It is not unusual anymore to find lemon grass used in non-Thai recipes in food magazines and cookbooks. It is especially appropriate for scenting rice, for chicken dishes, seafood stews and chowders. (Another promising idea for the upcoming Chowder Cook-off!)

I came across one recipe for poached chicken where the trimmed stalks were laid out over the bottom of a pan and the chicken breasts spread out on top, infusing both the tender chicken and the kitchen with a heavenly lemon perfume. I’m thinking mussels done in  coconut milk with ginger and lemon grass would be to die for.

In fact, I am re-inspired. I am off to find some nice pots for my south-facing kitchen windows and I will transplant my sad plants, then bring them inside. And then, I will take the remainder of my purchased stalk and see if I can get it to root. My kitchen windows may soon look like a grade 9 science project.