Lemon myrtle is a herb native to Australia which has long been used by Aboriginal people in bush medicine and cooking. As its name might suggest, lemon myrtle has a distinct lemon flavour which makes it a pleasant addition to a wide variety of dishes, often being used to add a subtle citrus taste or to bring out the sweetness in both sweet and savoury dishes.
As a culinary ingredient, lemon myrtle is sold in various forms, all of which can be used in cooking. Often sold as lemon myrtle tea leaves, as an essential oil, or in its most basic ground form, lemon myrtle is a highly versatile ingredient that has had roots in traditional Australian cooking for centuries.
What is lemon myrtle good for?
Before picking up the frying pan, it's worth knowing that lemon myrtle isn't just worth using for its unique flavour profile. As well as bringing a new dimension of citrus to your favourite dishes, lemon myrtle is also known for its long list of health benefits. Used by Aboriginal people to treat complaints including headaches, skin problems, breathing difficulties and stomach aches, lemon myrtle has also been found by recent studies to hold both antimicrobial and antifungal properties.
What's more, the health benefits of lemon myrtle can be enjoyed by simply using lemon myrtle in day-to-day cooking. Whether you start the day with a cup of lemon myrtle tea or add ground lemon myrtle to your dinner, it's easy to incorporate small, regular portions of lemon myrtle into your diet and feel the benefit of this age-old herb.
How can you use lemon myrtle in cooking?
Lemon myrtle can be added to a huge range of dishes to bring out their flavour and add a little lemon zestiness. Whether you choose to use lemon myrtle leaf tea or ground lemon myrtle spice, here are four ways that lemon myrtle can be used in cooking every day.
Remember thought, a little goes a long way! Lemon myrtle has a very strong taste, so use exactly according to the recipe and add in more after tasting if you want to. Trent on Masterchef Australia Season 13 learned the hard way that lemon myrtle needs to be used sparingly.
Using lemon myrtle in baking
Lemon myrtle can be used in baking to add a unique lemon flavour to cakes, biscuits, and other baked items. It's particularly useful in recipes that involve cream or dairy, because its low levels of acidity (when compared to using lemons) mean there's no risk of curdling. Lemon myrtle can be used to make delicious butter biscuits and tea cakes, offering all the flavour of lemons but none of the sourness.
Using lemon myrtle in marinades and rubs
Lemon myrtle can also be used in its ground form to make delicious marinades and rubs, perfect when paired with roast chicken. Because of the similarity it bears to popular Asian ingredients like lemongrass, lemon myrtle works well when used to marinade chunks of meat for Asian-inspired stir-fry dishes.
Using lemon myrtle in oils
Lemon myrtle can also be used to flavour oils; a little more subtle than some of the other options on this list, adding lemon myrtle to cooking oils, salad dressings, and other oil-based ingredients is an effective way to add a hint of lemon to your cooking without overpowering it. Lemon is a common flavour in cuisines all around the world, and using a little lemon oil can add an extra dimension to even the simplest of dishes.
Using lemon myrtle in drinks
Whether you're serving up a fruit punch that packs a punch of its own or you're strictly on the sodas, lemon myrtle can be used in cocktails and soft drinks to add a little citrus zest, perfect for a hot day in the sun. Make your own lemon myrtle syrup by boiling lemon myrtle in water and then reducing this down with sugar and you've got the perfect base for lemon myrtle soda or a summery lemon myrtle cocktail.
Buy high-quality lemon myrtle online today
At Lemon Myrtle Fragrances, we supply high-quality lemon myrtle products grown and prepared in Australia. Browse our online lemon myrtle shop and find all the ingredients you need to prepare delicious home cooking that showcases the joy and flavours of natural lemon myrtle in all of its forms.