Cocktails with Lemongrass stem
Lemongrass stem is the tender lower stalk of a tropical grass with a lemon aroma.
How it's used
Bruise the stalk flat before it goes in: the aroma is locked in cells that have to break first. It gives lemon scent without acid, so a drink can smell of citrus and still need its lime.
Substitutes for Lemongrass stem
Lemongrass paste
Comes closest. It contains oil and salt, so start with 1 teaspoon per 3 cm of stalk, taste, and fine-strain the cocktail.
Dried lemongrass powder
A teaspoon stands in for a whole stalk, so use a small pinch.
East Indian lemongrass
Can be used in the same amount.
The simplest stand-in. It reads as plain lemon because the peel has little citral, the compound behind lemongrass's scent.
Citronella grass
Don't use it. Its smell comes from citronellal and geraniol rather than lemony citral.
