What is this mysterious plant from Thailand called?

January 25, 2009 9:09 AM

What plant did my Thai neighbor just give me?

My Thai neighbor who speaks very little English, gave me a plant that he said was called - T'Kai (I think). It looks like the top of a long dried out garlic plant with a sort of thinnish bulb that smells a lot like ginger. He gave it to me as a remedy for a cold. What is this plant?

posted by watercarrier to science & nature (3 comments total)

Could it be lemongrass (takrai in Thai)?
posted by eendje at 9:22 AM on January 25 [1 favorite has favorites]

Yes it is eendje. Thank you so much :)
posted by watercarrier at 9:26 AM on January 25

If it still has the roots on the end, you can plant it, and it will grow well enough to fill nearly any pot you have. You can trim off the top end, which you can use for making tea (for colds), and put the root in fresh water with a little plant food. When the roots start to grow, you can plant it (in a warmish climate), and you've got a never ending source of all that is wonderful about SE Asian cooking.
posted by Ghidorah at 6:52 PM on January 25 [1 favorite has favorites]