Lemon Myrtle Leaf (ground)
Backhousia citriodora
Add the sensational taste of the native rainforest Lemon Myrtle to your recipes.
Intense pure lemon flavor, without the acid of citrus. Lemon myrtle has anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, but it is just plain delicious.
Use in dishes such as stir-fry and Asian curries as a substitute for lemongrass.
It can also be used as a lemon flavor replacement in milk-based foods, such as cheesecake, lemon flavored sorbet and ice cream without the curdling problem associated with lemon fruit acidity.
Add towards the end of cooking, so it is not cooked for more than 10-15 minutes, as any longer than this will destroy the delicate lemon notes.
Lemon Myrtle must be used sparingly, about ½ a teaspoon for a pound of meat or vegetables; otherwise the camphor-like eucalyptus taste will dominate.
One of the most useful of the Australian native herbs and spices, Lemon Myrtle has a delicious lemongrass-like flavor and aroma of lemon verbena. Lemon Myrtle is endemic to subtropical rainforests of central and south-eastern Queensland, Australia, with a natural distribution from Mackay to Brisbane. Lemon myrtle is one of the well-known bush food flavors and is sometimes referred to as the "Queen of the lemon herbs".
The leaf is often used as dried flakes, or in the form of an encapsulated flavor essence for enhanced shelf-life. It has a range of uses, such as lemon myrtle flakes in shortbread; flavoring in pasta; whole leaf with baked fish; infused in macadamia or vegetable oils; and made into tea, including tea blends.
Health Benefits: The dried leaf has free radical scavenging ability. In traditional medicine, this herb was an important natural antibiotic for centuries by the Australian Aborigines. In modern studies the essential oil has a higher anti-microbial rating than tea tree oil yet at the same time it is gentler to the skin.
Lemon myrtle possesses antimicrobial properties, and may be used topically and internally as a disinfectant, and for immune support.
| Botanical Name | Backhousia citriodora |
|---|---|
| Common Names | Lemon Ironwood, Sweet Verbena Tree, Sand Verbena Myrtle, Tree Verbena. |
| Flavor | lemongrass |
| Contains | Lemon Mytrle Leaves |
| Application | Asian stir-frys and curries in the place of lemongrass |
