Look for lemongrass in the herb section of your supermarket. Lemongrass can be sold in long stalks that you chop yourself, short stocks in a plastic container, or as a jarred or bottled paste.

Look for lemongrass that is firm and pale yellow-green with a bit of a bulb at the end. The top of the stalk should look relatively fresh; they tend to dry out quickly so they may not look like they were just harvested but they shouldn't be browned or sad looking.

The most popular variety of lemongrass grown is Cymbopogon citratus, a native of southern India and Ceylon. The fast growing plant has slender blue-green leaves that turn red in the fall. While lemongrass is widely used as a fragrance in perfumes and cosmetics, the focus here is on its culinary value.