Lemongrass

Lemon grass is a perennial tropical grass that looks like the common field grass. Once planted, the grass will come back every year. Lemongrass is a source of food oil, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and medical applications. Lemongrass is mainly found in tropical Asia in countries such as India, Ceylon, Brazil, Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Guatemala, Madagascar, Mauritius, New Guinea and countries in Africa and South America.

Lemongrass Essence Oil

Lemon grass is very similar to the common grass. In some countries, lemongrass is used as a thatching material for huts and cottages. The leaves have a rich, aromatic juice which is a rich source of essence oil for many industries. The lemongrass oil is immiscible in water and consists of volatile organic compounds.

Lemongrass grows turf with leaves reaching about 100 cm in length and 1.5 cm in width. To extract the lemongrass essential oil, all you need to do is to subject the lemongrass leaves to steam distillation. The extract from lemon grass is pungent and tastes like ginger. Little quantity of lemongrass extract is all you need to improve, mask and fortify food flavors. Lemongrass extract is also used to add flavor to wines and sauces. Fresh leaves are cut and applied on fish, prawns and other sea foods to improve the taste.

Natural Fragrance

Apart from the extensive use in confectionery – meat, puddings, fats, oils, dairy desserts, spirit liquors and non-alcoholic beverages, lemongrass is widely used in soap and detergents to add a characteristic odor to these products. Lemongrass essential oil is therefore used in the soap and detergent industries to give natural fragrance to cream, perfumes and skin lotions. And for the cheap essential oils available, some are given value by addition of little quantities of lemongrass oil and citronella oil.

Lemongrass Oil: - Treat Colds and Pains

In terms of medicinal value, Chinese herbalists are employing lemongrass oil to treat colds and pains such as fungal infections, stomachache, digestion, spasms, muscle cramps, toothache and rheumatic pain. The herbalist will still go ahead and make some preparation out of lemongrass which is used in washing the hair. They also use it for preservation acting as a pesticide and repellant to household rodents.

Grow Your Own Lemongrass in Your Garden

For those who may be interested in growing their own lemongrass in your garden, a plot the size of 7 metres by 7 metres should be able to produce 400 kg of lemongrass which you can distill to produce 1 liter of lemongrass oil. You can mince lemongrass bulbs and use it in a variety of your home made recipes and in your tea.

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