Scribd
Upload
25 views1 page

Basil Joseph's-Wort, Is A Culinary Herb of The: UK US

Basil is a culinary herb from the mint family that is native to India and has been cultivated there for over 5,000 years. It is known as the "king of herbs" and features prominently in Italian and Southeast Asian cuisines, where different varieties are used. There are many varieties of the Ocimum basilicum plant as well as related species and hybrids that are also called basil, including sweet basil, Thai basil, lemon basil, and holy basil. While most varieties are annuals, some basils are perennial in warm, tropical climates.

Uploaded by

marijana_z
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
25 views1 page

Basil Joseph's-Wort, Is A Culinary Herb of The: UK US

Basil is a culinary herb from the mint family that is native to India and has been cultivated there for over 5,000 years. It is known as the "king of herbs" and features prominently in Italian and Southeast Asian cuisines, where different varieties are used. There are many varieties of the Ocimum basilicum plant as well as related species and hybrids that are also called basil, including sweet basil, Thai basil, lemon basil, and holy basil. While most varieties are annuals, some basils are perennial in warm, tropical climates.

Uploaded by

marijana_z
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 1

Basil UK /bzl/;[1] US /bezl/[2] (Ocimum basilicum), also called great basil or SaintJoseph's-wort, is a culinary herb of the family Lamiaceae

(mints). It is also called the "king


of herbs" and the "royal herb". The name "basil" comes from Greek
(basilikn phutn), "royal/kingly plant".[3]
Basil is possibly native to India,[4] and has been cultivated there for more than 5,000 years.[5] It
was thoroughly familiar to the Greek authors Theophrastus[6] and Dioscorides. It is a tender
plant, best known as a culinary herb prominently featured in Italian cuisine, and also plays a
major role in Southeast Asian cuisines of Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia,
Laos, and Taiwan. Depending on the species and cultivar, the leaves may taste somewhat like
anise, with a strong, pungent, often sweet smell.
There are many varieties of Ocimum basilicum, as well as several related species or species
hybrids also called basil. The type used in Italian food is typically called sweet basil (or
Genovese basil), as opposed to Thai basil (O. basilicum var. thyrsiflora), lemon basil (O.
citriodorum), and holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum), which are used in Asia. While most
common varieties of basil are treated as annuals, some are perennial in warm, tropical
climates, including holy basil and a cultivar known as "African blue basil".

You might also like