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Fresh Sweet Basil Tips
with Small Leaves and Blooms Steeped in
Extra Virgin Olive Oil |
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Click on the image above
to to see a larger picture |
Basil is a tender, low-growing, herb of the Lamiaceae (mints) family. It is originally native to Iran, India and other warm, tropical parts of Asia, where it has been cultivated for over 5,000 years.
Today, in addition to being an important ingredient in various Southeast Asian traditional and modern cuisines, including those of Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, basil is featured prominently in Italian cuisine also.
The leaves and flowers have a strong, pungent, sweet smell. The flavor, which is more or less strong depending on the cultivars, it is somewhat reminiscent of anise.
The variety used in Italian cuisine is generally known as sweet basil, while the common Asian varieties are Thai basil, lemon basil and holy basil.
Despite the fact that most common types of basil are annuals, some varieties which grow in hot tropical climates, such as the African Blue and Holy Thai basil, are perennial.
The word basil derives from the Greek word βασιλεùς (basileus), which means 'king', as the legend tells that basil grew on the spot where Saint Constantine and his daughter, Helen, discovered the Holy Cross. The Oxford English Dictionary states that basil may have been used in "some royal unguent, bath, or medicine", while from a culinary point of view, basil is considered the 'king of herbs' by many chefs and food writers.
Leaves of six basil cultivars: front and back
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Culinary Use
Fresh basil leaves are generally used in cooked recipes, adding them at the last moment, as cooking would quickly destroys the flavor. Fresh basil keeps for about one week in plastic bags in the refrigerator, or for a longer period in the freezer after it has been blanched briefly in boiling water. Dried basil loses most of its flavor, and what's left is just a pale trace of the strong aroma which identifies the fresh herb.
Basil is the main ingredient in the traditional Italian pesto alla Genovese (Genoa style pesto,) a flavorful, green looking, pasta sauce and spread which also includes ground pine nuts and Parmigiano Reggiano, or Pecorino cheese, salt and extra virgin olive oil.
The most common Mediterranean cultivars are the 'Genovese' (from Genoa), 'Purple Ruffles', 'Mammoth', 'Cinnamon', 'Lemon', 'Globe', and 'African Blue'.
In Asia, the Chinese use fresh or dried basil in various recipes, in Taiwan fresh basil leaves are added to traditional thick soups, or they serve it deep-fried with fried chicken.
Basil is also steeped in cream or milk to create an interesting ice cream or chocolate flavor, and sometimes it is used in fruit jams and sauces, particularly with strawberries, raspberries, and dark-colored plums. Soaked in water, the seeds of various basil cultivars become gelatinous and are used in Asian drinks and desserts, such as falooda and sharbat.
Medicinal Use
The seeds, known with various names, such as sabza, subza, takmaria, tukmaria, tukhamaria, falooda, selasih (Malay/Indonesian), and hôt é (Vietnamese), are used in traditional Ayurveda medicinal system in India, as well as in Siddha medicine, the traditional Tamil system of medicine.
In particular, the tulsi, or holy basil, is believed to have various healing powers and to be effective in particular for the treatment of:
- Fever and common cold
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Respiratory disorders
- Kidney stones
- Heart disorders
- Stress
- Mouth infection
- Insect bites
- Skin disorders
- Tooth disorders
- Headaches
- Eye problems.
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