How to use Basil
Basil
(Ocium basilicum)
The leaves and flowerheads, fresh or dried, are widely used on the continent and In Asia for flavouring food, though Basil has not been a popular herb in Britain. It is now, however, becoming better known. In Italy, where it is widely used, it is an important ingredient in pesto; it also goes well with eggs, chickens and some soups. In India, Malaysia and Thailand fresh Basil leaves are added to curries and, in India to sweet food.
As Basil is a tender plant, the leaves are usually sold dry or powdered. These should have a strong, sweet smell when fresh and be greenish-grey with a sweet scent, when bruised that is almost clove-like and slightly pungent.
An annual, not hardly in England. All parts have a strong aromatic scent, most apparent when the plant is watered or bruised. There are several different kinds, but the Sweet and Bush Basils, and individual garden forms of these, are most commonly used in the kitchen.
Sweet Basil is almost hairless, large leaved, and grows to a maximum of 60cm. Bush Basil is smaller, more compact, with a minutely hairy stem and narrow leaves.
As it likes sun, Basil is reluctant to flower in Britain, though it can do quite well in sheltered positions in the south, or in the pots that will produce sufficient leaves for kitchen use. Seedlings have a habit of damping off, but older plants grow rapidly and it is worth the extra trouble involved, for the fresh leaves are superb. I believe that a leaf torn apart retains more flavour in a dish than a cut one.
Basil is native to the tropics and warmer parts of the world and has been in cultivation since the time of the ancient Greeks. In Indian and Ceylon Basil is grown around temples. In southern Spain pots of Basil are placed near doorways during the summer, apparently for the pleasure of its scent and because it keeps flies and mosquitoes away, since it is not normally used in local cooking.
The medicinal properties of Basil have long been known; a decoration of the leaves are still used in S.E. Asia for coughs and catarrh. In Europe tisanes are taken to help cure indigestion and it is used as an antispasmodic and for calming the nerves. Basil belongs to the same family as balm.
Other names: Sweet Basil, Bush Basil. French Basilic, Herbe royale; Spanish Albahaca; Italian Basilico; Portugese Mangericao, Alfadega; Dutch Basilicum; German Basilie, Basiliumkraut; Arabic Habback; Maly Selaseh, Kemangi; Thai Hovapa
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August 31, 2011 | No Comments
