Food: Basil [edit]

Other Names: Sweet Basil, Genovese, 罗勒 (Chinese), ريحان (Arabic), Basile (French), Basilio (Spanish), Василий (Russian) All Translations

Photo: Flickr user Schilling 2

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Edited by: Alisa Escanlar, Latesha Carter, Melissa Peterman

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Make homemade basil oil! I found a huge bunch of basil yesterday at the incomparable new Paramus Fairway Market and I remembered that Chef Avram Wiseman told me that if ...

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Wikipedia

Basil (''Ocimum basilicum'') ( or ), 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.

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Substitutes: Dried Basil, Dried Italian Seasoning

[edit] About Basil

Basil or Sweet Basil has been considered to be the king of all herbs due to its captivating aroma. This herb is thought to have originated from India, but is has come to be cultivated and used in other parts of the world. Basil can be used to flavor pasta sauces and meats such as Lamb and Turkey.

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