Lemongrass is an essential ingredient in many Asian cuisines. Fresh lemon grass should always be your first choice, but unless you live in a city with ethnic markets or Asian grocery stores, this is not always an option. Dried lemongrass has the advantage of a much longer shelf life and it comes with the additional perk of only requiring half as much as the fresh version in a recipe.
Lemongrass is so named because its flavor is reminiscent of lemon, yet lighter. It is essential in many Asian cultures--in Thailand it is used in as many dishes as we use parsley. You will see lemongrass used to scent virtually every type of soup in Thai cooking.
Combined with other spices and herbs, lemongrass flavors a variety of curries, soups, stews and stir fries. Works well in combination with chili powder, cilantro, cinnamon, galangal, garlic and ginger.
