Fall is here, and the backyard garden is a messy tangle. The last few tomatoes are thick-skinned and no longer fragrant. But delicate leaves still top the stiff stalks of basil, and rubbing them gently releases volatile oils that leap
Fall is here, and the backyard garden is a messy tangle. The last few tomatoes are thick-skinned and no longer fragrant. But delicate leaves still top the stiff stalks of basil, and rubbing them gently releases volatile oils that leap into your nose. Sweet basil’s balanced fragrance of cinnamon, clove and anise evoke a steaming bowl of pasta bathed in pesto. But in other parts of the world, its cousins — Thai basil, holy basi, and lemon basil — are prized for their culinary and medicinal benefits.
Ocimum (basil) is a genus native to Asia and a member of the mint family. Because of its “promiscuous” behavior (according to the Herb Society of America), more than 65 cultivated species of basil can be found across the globe. In addition to the common sweet basil, Ocimum basilicum, there is Thai basil, Ocimum basilicum var. thyrsiflora, with a sweet anise and licorice aroma. Lemon basil is a cross between Ocimum basilicum and Ocimum americanum. Holy basil, Ocimum tenuiflorum, is revered by Hindus in South Asia, where it is known as “tulsi” and lauded for its medicinal properties in Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha traditions.
Thai basil, notes chef and “Thai Food” cookbook author David Thompson, sweetens and perfumes any curries, soups or stir fries. Holy basil also is used in the Thai kitchen — a pungent red variety and a milder white one that goes with seafood and fish. There are actually three types of holy basil valued in the Ayurvedic tradition: dark red Krishna and light green Rama (both Ocimum tenuiflorum) and Vana (Ocimum gratissimum). Thai and holy basil have a slightly numbing quality that tames the heat of spices. As for lemon basil, Thompson notes that its sticky leaves are best suited to wet dishes. Lemon basil seeds, which look like poppy seeds, are used to garnish ice cream.
K.T. Achaya describes a recipe for a basil-scented version of the hom