Lemongrass

The quintessential flavoring of Southeast Asia, where it’s used in innumerable marinades and spice pastes. The Balinese grill shrimp mousse on whole lemongrass stalks. Malaysian grill jockeys use the leafy shoots as a basting brush.

Lemongrass looks somewhat like a large scallion, with a bulbous base that tapers to slender, pointed leaves. The top two-thirds of the fibrous stalks are generally trimmed off, as are the outside leaves covering the base and the root. (I like to put them in the cavity of fish or chicken before grilling.) The core that remains has a haunting lemon flavor—without the tartness—that goes exceedingly well with seafood, chicken, and beef.