Around The World With Lemongrass
As spring winds down and summer approaches, wanderlust sets in and the itch to travel builds. This year, more than ever, we are yearning for adventure, whether it be a trek in the mountains, lazy days spent on sandy beaches, or the hustle and bustle of a distant city. While we will be staying in place this year, we can still use our senses to help us explore.
A large patch of lemongrass in the Chisapani Community Forest in the Himalayas. Photo by Chandra Shekhar Karki/CIFOR
The scent of Lemongrass has a unique ability to instantaneously transport us to warm, far-off destinations. It’s bright, uplifting, and energizing scent is revered around the world and is a natural shoe-in for our Vetiver & Lemongrass solid perfume. It’s been cultivated for thousands of years and is one of the world’s most popular and widely distributed essential oils. Its numerous applications are confounding; it's used in soaps, cosmetics, perfumery, aromatherapy, in cleaning products and to attract beneficial insects like bees and repel pesky insects like mosquitos. In India, it is used in the preservation of ancient Palm Manuscripts to keep the pages from becoming too brittle. In the Lowcounty of South Carolina lemongrass is the primary ingredient of van van oil, one of the most popular oils in conjure in Hoodoo which protects against evil, spiritually cleanses a house, and brings good luck in love affairs.
Women harvest lemongrass in the Chisapani Community Forest of the Himalayas, which will be distilled down into an essential oil. Photo by Chandra Shekhar Karki/CIFOR
In many cultures lemongrass is used as a medicinal agent and is steeped in hot water to make a tea for consumption. In Brazilian folk medicine, the tea is used to treat anxiety and muscle spasms, in the Caribbean and Cuba it's brewed to boost immunity and help with blood pressure, in East India and Sri Lanka it's used as a perspirant to aid in reducing fever and is known as “fever tea” and in Malaysia its believed to be an emmenagogue.
Lemongrass harvested from the Chisapani Community Forest will be distilled into essential oil and sold. Photo by Chandra Shekhar Karki/CIFOR
Perhaps, we recognize lemongrass most as a core ingredient in delicious currys, salads and soups. Besides tasting delicious, lemongrass is considered to be a diuretic and stimulant, promoting good digestion when ingested. It's also known to be an anti-browning agent, controlling enzymatic browning reactions in cooking.
Lemongrass essential oil distilled at the Chisapani Community Forest User Group headquarters. Photo by Chandra Shekhar Karki/CIFOR
Regardless of how it's consumed, chances are that an encounter with lemongrass is bound to improve your outlook on the day, and perhaps it will transport you somewhere else, if just momentarily.