Basil

...Introduction ~:~:~

Basil is one of mine and Tim’s favourite herbs. Tim is really fussy with food and basil allows me to add flavour to his otherwise quite bland diet. Basil is also incredibly versatile and although most people would associate it with Mediterranean cuisine Basil is also used in many Asian cultures such as Thai, Chinese and Indian in fact from reading the internet a bit for research it would seem that in the US and Australia ...
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~:~:~ Types of Basil ~:~:~

The most common type of Basil used in the UK is Sweet Basil or Ocimum Basilicum to give it its full botanical name.

This is just one of many types of Basil including:

Lemon basil
African blue basil
Spice/Cinnamon Basil
Licorice/Anise Basil and
Thai Sacred Basil

There are loads more but I don’t want to bore you by going on all ... more

~:~:~ Introduction ~:~:~

Basil is one of mine and Tim’s favourite herbs. Tim is really fussy with food and basil allows me to add flavour to his otherwise quite bland diet. Basil is also incredibly versatile and although most people would associate it with Mediterranean cuisine Basil is also used in many Asian cultures such as Thai, Chinese and Indian in fact from reading the internet a bit for research it would seem that in the US and Australia more people would associate Basil with oriental and Asian food than Mediterranean; I guess it must be a proximity thing?

So let me tell you what I know about Basil.

~:~:~ Meet the Lamiaceae Family ~:~:~

The Lamiaceae family is also commonly known as the “Mint” family and contains so many culinary plants such as basil, mint, rosemary, sage, marjoram, oregano and thyme. In total there are aproxiamtly 210 genera in the Lamiaceae family and around 3,500 different species.

The varieties of plants in the Lamiaceae family often have common traits and flavours, for instance some basils taste like mint and vice versa and several of the Lamiaceae plants have varieties that taste of lemons.

Most of the plants in the Lamiaceae family are herbs, (meaning they produce seeds, have a non-woody stem and die back completely after flowering), however it does also contain shrubs such as thyme and trees too.

~:~:~ Types of Basil ~:~:~

The most common type of Basil used in the UK is Sweet Basil or Ocimum Basilicum to give it its full botanical name.

This is just one of many types of Basil including:

Lemon basil
African blue basil
Spice/Cinnamon Basil
Licorice/Anise Basil and
Thai Sacred Basil

There are loads more but I don’t want to bore you by going on all day!

~:~:~ Nutritional Information ~:~:~

In 5g of fresh Basil there is only 1 calorie and no fat! Basil is also a good source of Protein, Riboflavin, Niacin, Beta Carotene, Dietary Fibre, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Zinc, Copper and Manganese; sounds good to me.

I have been told, (but I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this), that Basil helps to make you feel full which means you can eat less and not be hungry. I have to admit that I mainly have Basil with rice of pasta dishes which make you feel full any way so I have no idea if this is true.

~:~:~ The Appearance of Basil ~:~:~

In my opinion Basil is a beautiful plant to look at. It has wide leaves with really visible veins and can be anything from bright green to deep purple in colour depending on the variety. The leaves grow out from the central stem of the plant in little clusters. The leaves are pretty and some fold outwards and some inwards.

The gorgeous Basil flowers grow on spikes and again the colours vary depending on variety. The common sweet basil has dainty white flowers with yellow stamens making them quite striking and attractive.

The only problem I have is I use all the basil up before they ever get a chance to flower!

~:~:~ The History of Basil ~:~:~

It is most widely accepted that the word Basil The word basil comes from a Greek word Basileus, which means king. This is either because it was believed to have grown in Jesus’ tomb or because it is believed to have grown in the same place as St. Constantine and Helen discovered the Holy Cross. The “King” obviously referring to Jesus himself.

It is believed that Basil originates from Asia where it has been used and cultivated for about 5,000 years. It was grown both as food and for its medical properties.

Basil was introduced to Europe along the ancient spice routes in the mid-1500's. It was mainly cultivated in Europe for medical use with many believing that it was good for the heart and for the head. It was believed that Basil could cure “melancholy”, (depression) and would make people who smelt it or ingested it would become “merry and glad”.

In the 19th century it became much more widely used in cooking by the Mediterranean cultures as the flavours blended well with the native foods such as olives and tomatoes. It is now a pretty much essential part of any herb garden.

Today Basil is mainly grown commercially in California, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Germany, Israel, Egypt, Morocco, Italy, Madagascar, India and Mexico; so most of the stuff you buy in the supermarkets will be fairly well travelled.

Basil seeds are used in China to make a thick drink which resembles frogs spawn. This is because the seeds, when soaked, get a gel like coating.

~:~:~ How to Store/Prepare Basil ~:~:~

I always use Basil that I grow myself on the windowsill in the kitchen. The plants never last long once I start cutting them. I simply snip off the leaves with small scissors or a sharp knife. I like to wash the leaves before I use them and I simply rip them up and add to the dish I am making.

You can chop Basil but I find that the more I chop it, the less flavour it has so I stick to ripping it up.

If you buy fresh Basil in the supermarkets it tends to be either a plant, in which case take it out of the plastic wrapper and place it on a saucer of water and use it as you wish, or it comes pre-cut in little plastic bags which is really expensive. If you buy the second kind just take it out the wrapper as soon as you get it home and pop it in a glass of water and use it as soon as possible.

~:~:~ Growing Basil ~:~:~

Basil is a really easy herb to grow as long as you remember that Basil HATES the cold.

The seeds are reasonably inexpensive, (http://seeds.thompson-morgan.com has seeds for a variety of different types of Basil on sale from 74p a pack to 1.99 a pack).

I simply get a shallow container, (I use an old Tupperware container), almost fill it and then sprinkle on the seeds being wary of too many clumping around the same place. Then I cover the seeds with about half an inch of soil and water frequently until they start to sprout. Once the seedlings are about an inch tall I carefully plant them out into separate plant pots and place them on a tray on the windowsill. The sunnier the window the better, it is a good idea to keep the plants as warm as possible which sometimes means moving them round the house to follow the sun.

As long as you keep the soil moist, (it can be a good idea to mist the plants regularly as well), and the plants warm they should grow well.

If the plants begin to produce flower spikes it is a good idea to cut them off as low as possible as they will drain a lot of the energy from the plant inhibiting the growth of the leaves and once the flowers have died the plant will too.

You can also buy the supermarket plants which I have discovered are actual several small plants and simply break them up into separate pots cutting them back to about an inch when you do so. This can be quite a cheap way of getting several plants.

I have grown Basil outside so I can’t really comment but check out www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/4DMG/VegFruit/basil.htm for detailed instructions if you want to try.

~:~:~ Medicinal Uses ~:~:~

From Ancient Egyptian times basil has been believed to have various health benefits. The most widely accepted of these are it’s Anti-bacterial and anti-fungal effects which can help treat infections and to keep wounds clean.

It is also thought that Basil can help with many digestive problems such as constipation, stomach cramps, inflammation of the bowl etc. Just eating the basil uncooked or only cooked for a few seconds releases the effects of basil. You can make basil tea too just by adding a few lightly crushed basil leaves to water that is just off the boil and leaving for a few minutes. I like to add star anise to the tea too as the two flavours work together really well.

There has been a study which showed that basil can help inhibit the growth of tumours, but I would take this with a pinch of salt as many things make this claim but I like with something so serious you need concrete proof.

~:~:~ Myth, Lore and Trivia ~:~:~

Un-surprisingly with how long Basil has been about there is a wealth of folk-lore and superstition relating to it.

In Italy it is believed that if a man accepts a sprig of Basil from a woman they are engaged and if a woman accepts some from a man she will fall in love with him and never leave him. So be wary of you take Basil from!

It used to be believed that Basil was connected to scorpions and that if you grew Basil in a pot a scorpion would grow underneath. There are a few variants of this belief and some people also believed that smelling Basil would cause a scorpion to grow in your brain. Weird and very unlikely!

In India Basil is scared to both Vishnu and Shiva and it is grown in temples. It is often used in ceremonies and scattered over the places where people are buried.

In India Basil is used in court for people to swear oaths on.

Greek orthodox churches use Basil to make holy water and they grow pots of Basil around the alters.

Hindus believe that if a sprig of Basil is buried with them it will open the gates of heaven.

Wiccans use Basil to purify their alters and their homes.

~:~:~ Recipes ~:~:~

***Green Pesto***

Ingredients:
2 cups of fresh Basil leaves
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup of Extra Virgin Olive oil
3 tablespoons of Pine Nuts
3 Garlic cloves

Method:
Put the Basil, cheese, garlic and olive oil into a blender and whizz until smooth. Add the pine nuts and whizz briefly so that the pine nuts are only just broken up.
Tim prefers it completely smooth but I prefer the crunch of the pine nuts. I guess its up to you to find out which you prefer.

Pesto goes really well with pasta especially linguine and Tagliatelle. In fact when I make fresh pesto it is one of the few times I will buy fresh pasta. You can also add pesto to homemade tomato sauces and even cottage pie.

***Simple Pasta Sauce***

Ingredients:
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic
A good handful of Basil
A generous glug of olive oil
I medium onion

Method:
Chop the onion and garlic and fry gently in a little of the olive oil over a gentle heat until soft but not coloured. Stir in the whole can of tomatoes and a glug of olive oil and simmer for about 15 minutes. Finally turn off the heat, rip up the Basil and stir through the sauce. Serve with pasta and a little grated cheese.

~:~:~ Conclusion ~:~:~

Basil is a wonderfully versatile herb with loads of culinary uses. It looks beautiful and is good for you. All in all I would say that it rocks! 

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