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Lemongrass
Herbs & floral· herb
What it is
Lemongrass is the stalk of Cymbopogon citratus, a tropical grass native to South and Southeast Asia.
What it tastes like
On the nose: piney, citrus, camphor, lavender. Among its measured molecules: borneol, neral, camphene, β-caryophyllene oxide, geranial.
What goes with it
- Rosemaryboth carry borneol, piney camphorcite
- Lavenderboth carry borneol, piney camphorcite
- Cuminboth carry 1,8-cineole, camphorcite
Salt and acid
Salt
0 mgAsian pear10 mgCinnamon100 mgFennel seed1,000 mgOlive10,000 mgFish sauce
Sodium 6 mg per 100 g — USDA FoodData Central 168573.
Acid
Acid not measured yet.
Unusual pairings
Pairs the library can cite that almost nobody makes.
- Lemongrass + Rosemary
both carry borneol, piney camphor (17 of 338 carry it)
- Lemongrass + Lavender
both carry borneol, piney camphor (17 of 338 carry it)
- Lemongrass + Galangal
both carry 1,8-cineole, camphor (43 of 338 carry it)
15 of 117 compounds on file carry a paper the library can cite.
1,8-cineolearomaterpenoidreads as camphor-like odor (PubChem)Measured in 38 of 338 ingredients.cite
5.48% of the oil; named in the Results among the other major components — Schneider et al. 2025, Antibiotics (Table 1, row 'Eucalyptol')linaloolaromaalcoholreads as spicy, citrus taste (PubChem)Measured in 91 of 338 ingredients.cite
camphenearomaterpenoidreads as camphor-like (PubChem)Measured in 19 of 338 ingredients.cite
alpha-pinenearomaterpenoidreads as odor of turpentine (PubChem)Measured in 71 of 338 ingredients.cite
alpha-terpineolaromaalcoholreads as floral, lilac (PubChem)Measured in 54 of 338 ingredients.cite
5.61% of the oil; named in the Results among the other major components — Schneider et al. 2025, Antibiotics (Table 1, row 'α-terpineol')limonenearomaterpenoidreads as pleasant lemon-like (PubChem)Measured in 91 of 338 ingredients.cite
myrcenearomaterpenoidreads as pleasant (PubChem)Measured in 68 of 338 ingredients.cite
1.13-2.86% across the drying treatments — Setareh et al. 2023, Scientific Reports (Table 3, row 'Beta-myrcene')borneolaromaterpenoidreads as piney, camphor-like odor (PubChem)Measured in 13 of 338 ingredients.cite
5.35% of the oil; named in the Results among the other major components — Schneider et al. 2025, Antibiotics (Table 1, row 'Borneol')geraniolaromaalcoholreads as sweet rose odor (PubChem)Measured in 26 of 338 ingredients.cite
0.95-6.11% depending on drying treatment — Setareh et al. 2023, Scientific Reports (Table 3, row 'Geraniol')geranialaromaterpenoidreads as strong lemon odor (PubChem)Measured in 21 of 338 ingredients.cite
27.06% of the oil; the Results state Neral (26.45%) and Geranial (27.06%) comprise the highest proportion of the seventeen compounds identified — Schneider et al. 2025, Antibiotics (Table 1 (Compound composition of the West Indian lemongrass essential oil used in the study), row 'trans-Citral/Geranial')neralaromaterpenoidMeasured in 18 of 338 ingredients.cite
38.55-45.25% across the infrared- and hot-air-dried samples — Setareh et al. 2023, Scientific Reports (Table 3 (Essential oil components yield of lemongrass samples as affected by various drying procedures), row 'Neral')geranyl acetatearomaterpenoidreads as odor of lavender (PubChem)Measured in 24 of 338 ingredients.cite
5.06% of the oil; named in the Results among the other major components — Schneider et al. 2025, Antibiotics (Table 1, row 'Geranyl acetate')β-caryophyllene oxidearomaetherMeasured in 19 of 338 ingredients.cite
3.30% of the oil — Schneider et al. 2025, Antibiotics (Table 1, row 'Caryophyleneoxide' (spelling as printed))caryophyllenearomaterpenoidMeasured in 50 of 338 ingredients.cite
On file, no cited source yet ✳
These molecules are on record for it from the library's earlier sources. We are buying and requesting the papers; each one that lands moves its molecule up into the cited list.
- Gomphrenin IIInitrogen compound
- Isogomphrenin IIInitrogen compound
- (R)-β-citronellolterpenoid
- alpha-cadinolalcohol
- terpinoleneterpenoidreads as terpene taste (PubChem)
- isoorientinflavonoid
- 2-tridecanoneketone
- octadecaneacidreads as fuel-like (PubChem)
- 2alpha-Isopropenyl-5beta-methylcyclopentane-1beta-carbaldehydeterpenoid
- Quercetin 3-allosideflavonoid
- heptadecaneacidreads as fuel-like (PubChem)
- nonadecaneacidreads as fuel-like (PubChem)
- nonacosaneacid
- tritriacontaneacid
- (1S,4S,5S)-4-methyl-1-propan-2-ylbicyclo[3.1.0]hex-2-eneterpenoid
- p-menthan-3-olalcoholreads as cooling odor (PubChem)
- 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-5,7-dihydroxy-3-[(2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-[[(2R,3S,4S,5R,6S)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-methyloxan-2-yl]oxymethyl]oxan-2-yl]oxychromen-4-oneflavonoid
- tetracosaneacid
- 1,3-Dibromopentaneacid
- fenchoneterpenoid
- 5-hydroxy-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-7-[(2S,3R,4S,5S,6S)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxychromen-4-oneflavonoid
- 5,7-dihydroxy-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-8-[(2S,3R,4R,5S,6S)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]chromen-4-oneflavonoid
- 5,7-dihydroxy-2-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-3-[(2S,3S,4R,5R,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-[[(2R,3R,4S,5R,6S)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-methyloxan-2-yl]oxymethyl]oxan-2-yl]oxychromen-4-oneflavonoid
- 5,7-dihydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-8-[(2S,3R,4R,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]-6-[(2S,3S,4S,5S)-3,4,5-trihydroxyoxan-2-yl]chromen-4-oneflavonoid
- 5,7-dihydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3-[(2S,3R,4S,5S,6S)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-[[(2R,3R,4S,5R,6S)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-methyloxan-2-yl]oxymethyl]oxan-2-yl]oxychromen-4-oneflavonoid
- cis-4-coumaric acidacid
- (1R,3S,4S,5S)-1,3,4-trihydroxy-5-[(E)-3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)prop-2-enoyl]oxycyclohexane-1-carboxylic acidacid
- 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-5,7-dihydroxy-6-[(2R,3S,5R,6S)-5-hydroxy-6-methyl-4-oxo-3-[(2S,3S,4R,5R,6S)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-methyloxan-2-yl]oxyoxan-2-yl]chromen-4-oneflavonoid
- 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-5,7-dihydroxy-6-[(2S,3R,4R,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]-8-[(2S,3R,4R,5S)-3,4,5-trihydroxyoxan-2-yl]chromen-4-oneflavonoid
- 2-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)-5-hydroxy-7-methoxy-6-[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]-4a,8a-dihydrochromen-4-one
- 6-[(2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-4,5-dihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)-3-[(2S,3R,4S,5R,6S)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-methyloxan-2-yl]oxyoxan-2-yl]-2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-5,7-dihydroxychromen-4-oneflavonoid
- 6,6-dimethylbicyclo[3.1.1]heptane-2-carbaldehydeterpenoid
- 4-[2-[2-Carboxy-5-hydroxy-6-[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-[3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)prop-2-enoyloxymethyl]oxan-2-yl]oxy-2,3-dihydroindol-1-yl]ethenyl]-2,3-dihydropyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acidnitrogen compound
- Chlorogenic acidphenol
- 2-dodecanoneketone
- tetratetracontaneacid
- Kurilensin Aflavonoid
- camphorterpenoidreads as pungent aromatic taste (PubChem)
- 3-careneterpenoid
- menthoneterpenoidreads as bitter (PubChem)
- delta-cadinolalcohol
- D-limoneneterpenoidreads as citrus odor (PubChem)
- (-)-beta-pineneterpenoid
- (-)-alpha-pineneterpenoid
- isoscoparinflavonoid
- swertiajaponinflavonoid
- (-)-linaloolalcohol
- (+)-menthoneterpenoid
- ferulic acidacid
- (2S,4R)-1,7,7-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-olterpenoid
- 2''-O-alpha-L-rhamnosylisoorietinflavonoid
- Isorhamnetin 3-glucosideflavonoid
- p-Mentha-3,8-dieneterpenoid
- geranic acidterpenoid
- biochanin Aflavonoid
- phytolalcohol
- luteolinflavonoid
- neochlorogenic acidacid
- luteolosideflavonoid
- sissotrinflavonoid
- genisteinflavonoid
- beta-ocimeneterpenoid
- orientinflavonoid
- prunetinflavonoid
- Astragalinflavonoid
- neranic acidterpenoid
- cis-β-Ocimeneterpenoid
- oct-2-en-2-olalcohol
- [3-Methyl-3-(4-methylpent-3-enyl)oxiran-2-yl]methyl acetateterpenoid
- 2-Methyl-5-propenylpyrazinenitrogen compound
- p-α-dimethyl styreneterpenoid
- Darwinolterpenoid
- p-coumaric acidacid
- pinacolalcohol
- trans-α-Bergamoteneterpenoid
- Ocimene
- nerolalcoholreads as sweet rose (PubChem)
- ceryl alcoholalcohol
- Perilleneterpenoid
- trans-caffeic acidphenol
- 1-triacontanolalcohol
- m-Toluamidenitrogen compound
- 2-Nonadecanoneketone
- DL-piperitoneterpenoid
- 2-methyl-4,5-benzo-oxazole
- acetophenoneketonereads as sweet pungent odor (PubChem)
- α-terpineneterpenoid
- p-cymeneterpenoidreads as mild pleasant odor (PubChem)
- cyclopentadienehydrocarbonreads as monomeric form has terpene odor in vapor state (PubChem)
- Citronellalterpenoidreads as intense lemon-citronella-rose odor (PubChem)
- 3,7-Dimethylocta-2,6-dien-1-yl butanoateester
- 2-octanoneketonereads as bitter (PubChem)
- 2-undecanoneketonereads as strong odor (PubChem)
- 4-Octen-3-oneketone
- cis-verbenolterpenoid
- citronellolterpenoidreads as rose odor (PubChem)
- citralterpenoid
- β-eudesmolalcohol
- elemolalcohol
- trans-carveolterpenoid
- 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-oneketonereads as fruity taste (PubChem)
- 3,7-dimethylocta-2,6-dienoic acidacid
Sources
- Schneider et al. 2025, Antibiotics
- Aly et al. 2025, PLOS One
- Setareh et al. 2023, Scientific Reports