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Basil is an annual herb which is part of the mint family. It will grow about 3 feet high (1 metre) if not cut. There are several different varieties with different leaf colours, scents, etc. Asian Basils are more pungent whereas European varieties are sweeter and milder.
If you are growing your own Basil, prune the it every 2-3 weeks to stop it from going scraggly. Whenever flowers form, pinch them off as soon as you see them. These two steps should keep your Basil in good form right till the end of the summer.

Italian cooking doesn't often use Basil with meats; it uses oregano instead.

Basil is good dry or fresh (but never use the dry for pesto.)

Cooking Tips
Some people say that you should always tear Basil by hand, and never chop the leaves with a knife as they will turn black. I've always used a knife or metal food processor blade and never had the Basil go black on me. In short, this is nonsense and many food writers are now admitting this and blaming the belief on other people.

Fussier recipe writers will say don't wash your Basil, just gently wipe the leaves -- one at a time. Bugger that for a game of soldiers. A wash then a whiz in a salad spinner will ensure that it's dry enough for your pesto.

Basil is used in pesto sauces. Fresh leaves are also nice with a place of sliced tomatoes, olive oil and mozzarella cheese. Dried Basil is wonderful in baked tomato dishes.

To make a Basil oil, layer Basil leaves in a jar with coarse sea salt and pour extra virgin olive oil over it all. Store in the fridge. You won't want to use the leaves as they will turn black, but you will get a very tasty oil.

Equivalents
1 tablespoon fresh = 1 teaspoon dried
1 oz dried = 28g dried = 3/4 cup dried
1/2 oz fresh = 14g fresh = 1 cup fresh chopped
4 tablespoons dried = .35oz = 10g

Storage
You can freeze chopped or puréed Basil in ice cube trays covered with water or olive oil. For further advice, see under Storage on main entry for Herbs.

History
Basil was originally from India, where it has been cultivated since about 3000 BC. Basil leaves are used as part of Hindu funeral rites.

Literature & Lore

Some theories hold that the name "Basil" comes from the Greek work for king -- Basileus -- because it was considered a noble and sacred herb. The belief was that it should only be cut by a noble person using "noble" metal, which may the source of today's superstition about not chopping Basil with a knife.

An old superstition also connected Basil with scorpions. It was believed that if you left a sprig of Basil under a pot, it would turn into a scorpion. Some also felt that if you smelt Basil, you would develop a scorpion in your brain.

A legend says that Emperor's Constantine mother, St Helena, learnt in her vision that she would be able to identify the place of Christ's crucifixion by finding a place that was sweet with herbs. She found Basil growing at the place, and brought some back to Greece.

Also called:

Other entries for:

Herbs
Angelica, Angostura Bark, Basil, Bay Leaf, Borage, Chamomile, Chervil, Chives, Comfrey, Coriander, Cress, Curry Leaves, Dill, Dried Herbs, Epazote, Fennel, Fenugreek, Filé, Folium Indicum, Greens, Gruit, Hops, Hyssop, Lavender, Loroco, Lovage, Marjoram, Mexican Tarragon, Mint, Oregano, Parsley, Pennywort, Potherbs, Rosemary, Rue, Sage, Salad Burnet, Sarsaparilla, Sassafrass, Savoury, Screw Pine Leaves, Shiso Leaves, Silphium, Sorrel, Tarragon, Thyme, Trefoil, Valerian, Wild Garlic, Winter Purslane, Yarrow, Yomogi