Yum Takrai (Thai lemongrass salad) is one of the obvious applications of this ingredient in Thai cuisine and it can also be found in other traditional Thai recipes such as Massaman Curry, Tom Yum Soup or home-made Thai sausages.

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.

Check out how else lemongrass is commonly used here. I love the flavor it gives this curry and I promise you will too. Of course, you can always leave it out if it's unavailable to you or if you don't like it. Turmeric: Super trendy for the past few years, but always delicious and a known anti-inflammatory spice.