What is basil used for?

Basil is an herb in the mint family. It adds flavor to meals, and its nutrients may provide health benefits. Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) plays a role in many Mediterranean, and particularly Italian, cuisines. It forms the basis of pesto and adds a distinctive flavor to salads, pasta, pizza, and other dishes.

What are the most common uses of basil?

Basil is an herb in the mint family that is essential in Italian cooking, although it is also used in a variety of other types of cuisines including Thai, Indonesian, and Vietnamese. It is known for being the main ingredient in traditional pesto and is also a favorite seasoning in tomato-based pasta sauces.

What did basil symbolize?

Basil is one tasty little plant, but it’s suffered a symbolism identity crisis over the years. Originally meaning “hate,” it later became embraced as a symbol of love. During the Victorian era Sweet Basil conveyed “good wishes” to the receiver. In Italy, a man who accepted basil from a woman was destined to marry her.

Does basil produce fruit?

Basil, like many herbs, is grown for its foliage, not fruit or flowers.

Where is basil from?

basil, (Ocimum basilicum), also called sweet basil, annual herb of the mint family (Lamiaceae), grown for its aromatic leaves. Basil is likely native to India and is widely grown as a kitchen herb. The leaves are used fresh or dried to flavour meats, fish, salads, and sauces; basil tea is a stimulant.

When did people start using basil?

Origins of Basil

There are some indications that basil may have originated even farther east than India with ancient records from 807 A.D. suggesting that sweet basil was used in the Hunan region of China at that time.

What is an interesting fact about Rosemary?

The etymology of the name Rosemary is rather poetic, meaning SEA MIST, from the Latin ROS MARINUS. The Rosemary plant thrives in coastal areas, where it grows spontaneously and luxuriantly.

How do you grow basil plant?

How to Plant Basil
  1. Sow seeds no more than 1/4-inch deep. Once seedlings emerge and have 2-3 pairs of true leaves, thin seedlings to one plant every 10 to 12 inches. …
  2. For larger varieties, plant farther apart (about 16 to 24 inches).
  3. Tomatoes make great neighbors for basil plants in the garden—and on the plate!

What does basil smell like?

Basil is a sweet-smelling herb used in a lot of recipes around the world. However, there are a lot of complaints that sometimes the basil smells different, and not in a good way. Basil has been known to smell like licorice, anise, cinnamon, lemon, or even cat urine.

What country uses the most basil?

Basil is undoubtedly the most loved and popular herb in Italy. Although we tend to associate it with Italy and other Mediterranean countries, it actually originated in India, and was brought to the Mediterranean via the spice routes in ancient times.

What is the common name of basil?

Basil (/ˈbæzəl/, also US: /ˈbeɪzəl/; Ocimum basilicum), also called great basil, is a culinary herb of the family Lamiaceae (mints).
…
Basil
Genus:Ocimum
Species:O. basilicum
Binomial name
Ocimum basilicum L.

What basil tastes like?

What Does Basil Taste Like? The flavor of basil is a balance between sweet and savory, with hints of mint, anise, and pepper. While the initial flavor has pronounced tones of black pepper, this aromatic herb ultimately adds a hint of sweetness to any dish.

What makes basil smell so good?

The characteristic scent of the basil plant is due to a volatile compound called eugenol (shown in yellow), which is produced by the basil enzyme, eugenol synthase (shown in purple).

What gives basil its flavor?

What gives basil its flavour? Basil gets most of its flavour from the essential oils in the basil. Most of us think of oils as being triglycerides, these are three chains of fatty acids attached to a glycerol molecule.