Africa → Seychelles → Victoria
🥤 DRINK

Citronnelle (Seychellois Lemongrass Tea)

Fresh lemongrass leaves simmered and steeped in water into a pale, fragrant herbal tea, the drink Seychellois pour after a meal.
Seychellois · easy · serves 4
prep 5 min · cook 10 min
~25 cal · 0g protein · 6g carbs · 0g fat · 0g fiber · 6g sugars · 0g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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A glass teapot and cups of pale gold lemongrass tea with fresh lemongrass leaves
AI-generated illustration
Citronnelle, tea, is the most popular tea in the Seychelles, a mild herbal infusion drunk after meals to help the digestion. , sitronnel in Seychellois Creole, grows in abundance all over the islands.
It has long been a household remedy as well: the leaves were brewed into tea to bring down high fevers and settle stomachs, and went with cinnamon and lemon leaves into the traditional steam bath.
The tea itself could not be simpler, just a bundle of fresh leaves and water, simmered or steeped and sweetened to taste. It is drunk hot, and on warm days it is chilled as well.
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Make it yours

✓ Naturally vegetarian, vegan and gluten-, dairy-, nut-, egg- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.

Ingredients

Serves 4
  • 1 large handful fresh leaves (or 6 stalks)
  • 1 litre water
  • 2 tbsp sugar, to taste

Instructions

  • 1
    Rinse the lemongrass. Tie the long leaves into a loose knot, or cut the stalks into short lengths and bruise them with the back of a knife.
  • 2
    Bring the water to a boil, add the lemongrass and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
  • 3
    Take the pan off the heat, cover and leave to steep for 5 minutes more, until the tea is pale gold and fragrant.
  • 4
    Strain into cups, sweeten to taste, and drink hot after a meal, or chill it for a cold drink.
Seychellois household tradition.

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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination

📍
Victoria. Everything in the pantry follows from being an isolated archipelago in the Indian Ocean. Spice and technique arrived with Indian workers, the French left the base of the language and some of the sauces, and African cooks shaped the rest, so one plate can read as three cuisines at once.
🗺️
Seychelles. The coco de mer, the largest seed in the plant kingdom at up to eighteen kilos, grows wild on just two islands here, Praslin and Curieuse, and its stronghold at the Vallee de Mai is a UNESCO site. The granitic inner islands are unusual for mid-ocean: they are a fragment of continental crust left behind by the break-up of Gondwana rather than volcanic or coral, which is why they hold soil and forest that atolls cannot.
🌍
Africa. Much of what reads as timeless African cooking is younger than the Atlantic crossings. Maize, cassava, groundnut, chilli and tomato all arrived from the Americas after 1500 and pushed older crops aside; millet, sorghum, teff, yam and fonio are the ones that were already here, and the map still shows the join.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.

More from Seychelles

Seychellois Fish CurryA fragrant Creole coconut fish curry brightened with lime, ginger, and fresh curry leaves.
Ladob BanannRipe plantains simmered soft in sweet, vanilla-and-nutmeg coconut milk, a Creole breakfast or dessert from the Seychelles.
Kari ZouritOctopus simmered until tender in a fragrant coconut curry with ginger, garlic, and island masala, a Seychelles classic.
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Good to know

Storing it: Keep chilled and covered, and enjoy within 2 to 3 days.

Make it a Seychelles meal

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Frequently asked questions

What is Citronnelle (Seychellois Lemongrass Tea)?

Fresh lemongrass leaves simmered and steeped in water into a pale, fragrant herbal tea, the drink Seychellois pour after a meal.

Where does Citronnelle (Seychellois Lemongrass Tea) come from?

Citronnelle (Seychellois Lemongrass Tea) is a Seychellois dish from Victoria, Seychelles.

Can Citronnelle (Seychellois Lemongrass Tea) be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?

This Citronnelle (Seychellois Lemongrass Tea) recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions. Treat the substitutions as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.

Is Citronnelle (Seychellois Lemongrass Tea) safe for people with food allergies?

Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we still count coconut as a tree nut to be cautious, although the FDA stopped listing it as one in 2025), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.

How long does Citronnelle (Seychellois Lemongrass Tea) take to make?

About 15 minutes total (5 minutes prep, 10 minutes cooking), serving 4.

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