Basil is one popular herb, that is used when cooking, because of its unique aroma kai taste.
Find out more about it!
- Basil is also called great basil
- It is a culinary herb
- It belongs to the family of Lamiaceae (mints).
- Basil is native to tropical regions from central Africa to Southeast Asia.
- It is a tender plant, and is used in cuisines worldwide.
- Depending on the species and cultivar, the leaves may taste somewhat like anise, with a strong, pungent, often sweet smell.
- There are many varieties of basil.
- Also there are several related species or hybrids also called basil.
- The type used commonly as a flavor is typically called sweet basil or Genovese basil).
- Its flavor is opposed to Thai basil (O. basilicum var. thyrsiflora), lemon basil (O. × citriodorum), and holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum).
- Basil is an annual herb in general.
- Sometimes it is perennial.
- Depending on the variety, plants can reach between 30 cm (0.98 ft) and 150 cm (4.9 ft).
- Its leaves are richly green and ovate, but otherwise come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes depending on cultivar. Leaf sizes range from 3 cm (1.2 in) to 11 cm (4.3 in) long, and between 1 cm (0.39 in) and 6 cm (2.4 in) wide.
- Basil grows a thick, central taproot. Its flowers are small and white, and grow from a central inflorescence that emerges from the central stem atop the plant.
- While most common varieties of basil are treated as annuals, some are perennial in warm, tropical climates, including holy basil and a cultivar known as “African blue basil”.
- The various basils have such different scents because the herb has a number of different essential oils in different proportions for various cultivars.
- The essential oil from European basil contains high concentrations of linalool and methyl chavicol (estragole), in a ratio of about 3:1
- Other constituents include: 1,8-cineole, eugenol, and myrcene, among others.
- The clove scent of sweet basil is derived from eugenol.
- The aroma profile of basil includes 1,8-cineole and methyl eugenol.
- The name “basil” comes from Latin, basilius, and Greebasilikón phutón).
- “Royal/kingly plant”, possibly because the plant was believed to have been used in production of royal perfumes.
- The Latin name has been confused with basilisk.
- This happened because it was supposed to be an antidote to the basilisk’s venom.
- Start the seeds indoors 6 weeks before the last spring frost.
- To plant outside, wait until the soil has warmed to at least 50°F (10°C)—preferably around 70ºF (21°C) for best growth. Nighttime temperatures shouldn’t drop below 50°F (10°C).
- The best method for storing basil is freezing. Freezing will prevent the plant from losing a good portion of its flavor. To quick-freeze basil, package whole or chopped leaves in airtight, resealable plastic bags, then place in the freezer.
- As recipes demand relatively small amounts of basil, this herb contributes few vitamins and minerals in typical diets.
- Basil is not only a popular folk remedy for ailments like nausea and bug bites but also widely utilized in traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic medicine and other holistic medicine system
