basil

Basil, the herb

Basil is most commonly recommended to be used fresh, and in cooked recipes, is generally added at the last moment, as cooking destroys the flavour quickly.

Mediterranean and Indochinese cuisines frequently use basil, the former frequently combining it with tomato. Basil is one of the main ingredients in pesto — a green Italian oil-and-herb sauce from the city of Genoa, its other two main ingredients being olive oil and pine nuts. The most commonly used Mediterranean basil cultivars are 'Genovese', 'Purple Ruffles', 'Mammoth', 'Cinnamon', 'Lemon', 'Globe', and 'African Blue'. In Taiwan, people add fresh basil leaves into thick soups (羹湯; They also eat fried chicken with deep-fried basil leaves.

Basil is sometimes used with fresh fruit and in fruit jams and sauces — in particular with strawberries, but also raspberries or dark-colored plums. Arguably the flat-leaf basil used in Vietnamese cooking, which has a slightly different flavour, is more suitable for use with fruit.

When soaked in water the seeds of several basil varieties become gelatinous, and are used in Asian drinks and desserts such as falooda or sherbet.

Other basils

Several other basils, including some other Ocimum species, are grown in many regions of Asia. Most of the Asian basils have a clove-like flavour that is generally stronger than the Mediterranean basils.

Chemical components

The various basils have such different scents because the herb has a number of different essential oils which come together in different proportions for various breeds. The strong clove scent of sweet basil comes from eugenol, the same chemical as actual cloves. The citrus scent of lemon basil and lime basil is because they have a higher portion of citral which causes this effect in several plants, including lemon mint, and limonene, which gives actual lemon peel its scent. African blue basil has a strong camphor smell because it has camphor and camphene in higher proportions. Licorice Basil contains anethole, the same chemical that makes anise smell like licorice, and in fact is sometimes called Anise Basil.

Other chemicals helping produce the distinctive scents of many basils, depending on their proportion in each specific breed, including:

Basil contains over 50 compounds which are potentially carcinogenic.

Cultivation

Basil thrives in hot weather, but behaves as an annual if there is any chance of a frost.

Although basil will grow best outdoors, it can be grown indoors in a pot and, like most herbs, will do best on a south-facing windowsill (in the Northern Hemisphere).

In sunnier climates such as Southern Europe, the southern states of the U.S., the North Island of New Zealand, and Australia, basil will thrive when planted outside.

Basil can also be propagated very reliably from cuttings in exactly the same manner as "Busy Lizzie" (Impatiens), with the stems of short cuttings suspended for two weeks or so in water until roots develop.

Leaf production slows or stops on any stem which flowers, so you can pinch off any flower stems to keep the plant in production, or pinch off some stems while leaving others to bloom for decoration or seeds.

Health issues

Basil, like other aromatic plants such as fennel and tarragon, contains Estragole, a known carcinogen and teratogen in rats and mice.

Cultural aspects

There are many rituals and beliefs associated with basil. African legend claims that basil protects against scorpions while European lore sometimes claims that basil is a symbol of Satan.

Holy Basil, also called 'Thulsi' or 'Tulsi', is highly revered in Hinduism and also has religious significance in the Greek Orthodox Church, where it is used to prepare holy water. The Macedonian Orthodox Church also uses basil (Macedonian: босилек) to prepare holy water and pots of basil are often placed below church altars.

In Europe, they place basil in the hands of the dead to ensure a safe journey.