Okay, so I’ve been cooking up a storm lately, lots of Thai-inspired dishes. And you know what ingredient keeps popping up? Lemongrass. It’s got that awesome citrusy, kinda gingery flavor. But, uh, my local grocery store? Sometimes they have it, sometimes they don’t. Total pain. So, I started to figure out: what can I use when I can’t get the real stuff?
My Lemongrass Substitution Experiments
First things, I tried to use some Lemon zest. I’ve got a lemon tree at home, always have lemons. I figured, “Hey, it’s lemony, close enough, right?”
- Experiment 1: Just Lemon Zest
I grated up some zest, about a teaspoon for every stalk of lemongrass the recipe called for. Tossed it in my curry. The result? It was… okay. It added some of that bright, citrusy flavor, but it was missing something. It wasn’t quite as complex, didn’t have that little herbal, almost floral note that lemongrass has. I mean Lemon is too sour.
Then I had to try my Lemon balm, which I also grow at home.
- Experiment 2:Lemon Balm
I had a little more hope for this one. Lemon balm does smell a little more like lemongrass than straight-up lemon zest, in my opinion. I chopped up the leaves, used about a tablespoon for each lemongrass stalk. The flavor was * felt better than just zest. Still not a perfect match, though. It lacks a little depth of flavor.
Next, I thought, “Okay, need to combine things.”
- Experiment 3:Lemon Zest and Ginger
I went back to the lemon zest, but this time, I added a bit of finely grated fresh ginger. That is my favorite part. I used about a teaspoon of zest and half a teaspoon of ginger per lemongrass stalk. And… bingo! This was the closest I got. The ginger added that little bit of “zing” and complexity that the lemon zest was missing on its own. It’s not a dead ringer for lemongrass, but in a pinch, it totally * ginger helps a little bit.
- Experiment 4:Lemon Zest and Kaffir Lime Leaves
I can get Kaffir Lime Leaves, So I put some * dish is better, The flavor is very close to Lemongrass, It’s not a dead ringer for lemongrass, but in a pinch, it totally works.
So, that’s my lemongrass substitution journey. My personal go-to is the lemon zest and ginger combo, or lemon zest and Kaffir Lime Leaves. It’s easy, I usually have that stuff on hand, and it gets the flavor pretty darn close. If you’re in a lemongrass bind, give it a try!
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