Lemongrass - A spice and a medicinal herb

Lemongrass is a common spice found in many Vietnamese dishes. Its fragrant aroma stimulates digestion. Lemongrass leaves repel flies, mosquitoes, snakes, and centipedes; boiling them in water makes a fragrant and smooth hair rinse... But few people know about the preventative and curative effects of lemongrass, especially during the cold season.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, lemongrass has a pungent taste and warm nature; it enters the lung and stomach meridians, and has the effects of promoting digestion, diuresis, and relieving cough. It is used for cases of poor appetite, slow digestion, bronchitis, sore throat, and cough with phlegm. Dosage and method of use: 8-20g in fresh form, boiled, brewed, or marinated.

How to use lemongrass as medicine

For steam inhalation to relieve colds, fever, and headaches: 50g lemongrass leaves, 50g bamboo leaves, 50g chrysanthemum leaves, 50g pomelo leaves, 50g basil leaves... Boil these ingredients to make a steam inhalation solution.

Hair wash: 50g lemongrass leaves, 50g betel leaves, 10 soapnuts. Boil these ingredients to make a hair wash that smooths hair, cleanses dandruff, and prevents hair and scalp diseases.

Lemongrass root, bear root, *Rhizoma Polygoni multiflori*, tangerine peel, and *Magnolia officinalis* bark, 6-12g each. Boil and drink throughout the day to treat diarrhea.

Crush 30-50g of lemongrass roots and rub the paste onto the child's eczema.

Lemongrass essential oil: 3-6 drops. Add to a glass of water and drink to treat bloating and stomach pain.

Stir-fried frog marinated in lemongrass is used for cases of edema, physical weakness, and fever.

Dishes containing lemongrass

Stir-fried snails with lemongrass and lotus root: 2 kg of fragrant snails (or stuffed snails), 200 g of lotus root, 2-3 stalks of lemongrass. Soak and wash the snails, boil them until cooked, crack open and extract the meat, discarding the shells; slice the pickled lotus root; chop the lemongrass; add a little ginger, green chili, and other seasonings, marinate the snails well, and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Prepare a sauce with ginger, garlic, lemon, pepper, chili, and pickled lotus root. Stir-fry the marinated snails in a pan until they absorb the seasoning, then transfer to a bowl and pour the sauce over them. This is a specialty dish and is used for cases of jaundice, urinary tract infections, coughs, and sore throats.

Grilled beef wrapped in lemongrass is used for cases of poor appetite, slow digestion, jaundice, and bronchitis.

Grilled Beef Marinated with Lemongrass: 1kg beef, 3-5 lemongrass stalks (including young leaves), 1 onion, betel leaves and Piper sarmentosum (Houttuynia cordata) in sufficient quantities. Dry the beef and cut it into 8cm long and 4cm wide strips. Chop the lemongrass finely, mix it with pepper powder, crushed garlic, sesame oil, curry powder, and soy sauce in appropriate amounts, and marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Slice the onion thinly, and wash the betel leaves and Piper sarmentosum. Place each marinated beef slice on a cutting board or tray, place the onion, betel leaves, and Piper sarmentosum in the middle, and roll it up before grilling over charcoal. Serve with ginger-garlic dipping sauce, cucumber, star fruit, and various salad greens. This is a specialty dish and is recommended for those with poor appetite, slow digestion, jaundice, and bronchitis.

Fish cooked with lemongrass: 1-1.5 kg snakehead fish, 3-5 lemongrass stalks, 1-3 sweet potatoes, 1-3 potatoes, 1 tomato, 1 fresh ginger root. Clean and cut the fish into pieces, marinate with half a packet of curry powder, crushed and finely chopped lemongrass, a little salt, fish sauce, sugar, onion, and garlic; peel and slice the sweet potatoes and potatoes into large slices (2 x 4 cm), halve the tomatoes, and crush the ginger. Add the marinated snakehead fish and curry powder, fry briefly, then add the potatoes and tomatoes and stir-fry. Then add water and seasonings as needed, and simmer until tender. This dish is used for edema, jaundice, cough, and fever.

Stir-fried frog marinated in lemongrass: 1 kg of frog, 2-3 stalks of lemongrass. Clean the frog, cut it into three pieces, and drain. Marinate the frog meat with chopped lemongrass, curry powder, salt, pepper, sesame oil, and other seasonings. Mix well and let it sit for 15-30 minutes. Prepare coriander, chili peppers, ginger, fresh garlic, crushed roasted peanuts, fish sauce, and other suitable seasonings. Heat a pan, bring the oil to a boil, add the frog and stir-fry quickly over high heat until cooked. Add coriander, curry powder, chili peppers, ginger, garlic, and seasonings. Add a little water and simmer until tender and the sauce thickens. This dish is used for edema, physical weakness, and fever.

Dishes made from dog meat, goat meat, etc.; and dishes with fermented fish sauce are often prepared with lemongrass to remove unpleasant odors, make them more palatable, and aid digestion.

According to suckhoevadoisong