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Basil (Ocimum basilicum) (pronounced /ˈbæzəl/ or /ˈbeɪzəl/),
of the family Lamiaceae (mints), is a tender
low-growing herb. Basil is a culinary herb
prominently featured in Italian cuisine, and also plays a major role in
the Southeast Asian
cuisines of Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. The plant tastes
somewhat like anise, with a strong,
pungent, sweet smell.
There are many varieties of basil. That which is used
in Italian food is typically called sweet basil, as opposed to Thai basil, lemon basil and holy basil,
which are used in Asia. While most common varieties of basil are treated as annuals, some are perennial in warm,
tropical climates, including African Blue and Holy Thai basil.
Basil is originally native to Iran, India and other tropical regions of Asia, having been cultivated there for more
than 5,000 years
Basil is commonly used fresh in cooked recipes. It is generally added at the
last moment, as cooking quickly destroys the flavour. The fresh herb can be kept
for a short time in plastic bags in the refrigerator, or for a longer period in
the freezer, after being blanched quickly in boiling water. The
dried herb also loses most of its flavour, and what little flavour remains
tastes very different, with a weak coumarin flavour, like hay.
Basil is one of the main ingredients in pesto—a green Italian oil-and-herb sauce. Its other two
main ingredients are olive oil and pine nuts.
The most commonly used Mediterranean basil cultivars are "Genovese", "Purple Ruffles", "Mammoth",
"Cinnamon", "Lemon", "Globe", and "African Blue". The Chinese also use fresh
or dried basils in soups and other foods. In Taiwan, people add fresh basil leaves to thick soups (traditional Chinese: 羹湯; pinyin: gēngtāng). They also eat fried chicken with
deep-fried basil leaves. Basil (most commonly Thai Basil) is commonly steeped in
cream or milk to create an interesting flavor in ice cream or chocolates (such
as truffles).
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. Such seeds are known variously as
sabza, subza, takmaria, tukmaria, tukhamaria,
falooda, selasih (Malay/Indonesian) or hột é (Vietnamese).
They are used for their medicinal properties in Ayurveda, the traditional medicinal system of India and Siddha medicine, a traditional Tamil system of
medicine. They are also used as popular drinks in Southeast Asia.
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. The most notable is the holy basil or tulsi, a revered home-grown
plant in India and Nepal. In China,
the local cultivar is called (traditional Chinese: 九層塔; pinyin: jiǔ-céng-tǎ; literally "nine-level pagoda"), while the imported varieties are
specifically called (traditional Chinese: 羅勒; pinyin: luó-lè) or (traditional Chinese: 巴西里; pinyin: bā-xī-lǐ), although [巴西里] often refers
to another different kind plant—parsley.
Lemon basil has a strong
lemony smell and flavour very different from those of other varieties because it
contains a chemical called citral. It is
widely used in Indonesia, where it is called kemangi and served raw,
together with raw cabbage, green beans, and cucumber, as an accompaniment to
fried fish or duck. Its flowers, broken up, are a zesty salad condiment.
Basil grows to between 30–130 cm
tall, with opposite, light green, silky leaves 3–11 cm
long and 1–6 cm broad. The flowers are
small, white in color and arranged in a terminal spike. Unusual among Lamiaceae, the four stamens and the pistil are not pushed under the upper lip of the corolla, but lay over the inferior. After entomophilous pollination, the
corolla falls off and four round achenes
develop inside the bilabiate calyx.
Basil is very sensitive to cold, with best growth in hot, dry conditions. It
behaves as an annual if
there is any chance of a frost. In Northern Europe, Canada, the northern states
of the U.S., and the South Island of New Zealand it will grow best if sown under
glass in a peat pot, then planted out in late spring/early summer (when there is
little chance of a frost). It fares best in a well-drained sunny spot.
Although basil will grow best outdoors, it can be grown indoors in a pot and,
like most herbs, will do best on an equator-facing windowsill. It should be kept
away from extremely cold drafts, and grows best in strong sunlight, therefore a
greenhouse or Row cover is ideal if available.
They can, however, be grown even in a basement, under fluorescent lights.
If its leaves have wilted from lack of water, it will recover if watered
thoroughly and placed in a sunny location. Yellow leaves towards the bottom of
the plant are an indication that the plant needs more sunlight or less
fertilizer.
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. It also thrives over the summertime in the central and northern United
States, but dies out when temperatures reach freezing point. It will grow back
the next year if allowed to go to seed. It will need regular watering, but not
as much attention as is needed in other climates.
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.
If a stem successfully produces mature flowers, leaf production slows or
stops on any stem which flowers, the stem becomes woody, and essential oil
production declines.To prevent this, a basil-grower may pinch off any flower
stems before they are fully mature. Because only the blooming stem is so
affected, some can be pinched for leaf production, while others are left to
bloom for decoration or seeds.
Once the plant is allowed to flower, it may produce seed pods containing
small black seeds which can be saved and planted the following year. Picking the
leaves off the plant helps "promote growth", largely because the plant responds
by converting pairs of leaflets next to the topmost leaves into new stems.
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