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Basil Herbs, By Far The Most Popular Herbs
By John Stills | December 6, 2009
Originating from the Greek work basileus, which roughly interprets to King, basil herbs were considered to be mailcious. Ancient stories went on to say that to get the herbs to actually start growing, some poor sucker had to scream & yell at them. Whilst that is clearly a porkie, you have to admit that basil herbs do have a ’strong perfume’.
In later times, basil came to represent love, and men in Italy would give women a sprig of basil as a romantic gesture. When it comes to cuisine, basil is usually identified with Mediterranean food, along with Italian and Thai specialties. However, did you know that this herb actually came from India? Yes, it was Vishnu and Krishna’s own personal choice.
Growing Basil Plants
Grown as perennials in a number of tropical areas, the basil plant is very sensitive to temperature although it’s actually used as an annual in some temperate climates. It does however prefer hotter climates with plenty of sun and it actually grows better indoors that out as long as it gets plenty of natural light.
Basil needs a top quylaity soil that won’t clog along with best compost or manure that’s been around for a while. A steady flow of water and good drainage are mandatory requirements. Lack of natural light as well as positioning the plant in a drought will cause it to droop. It also requires mulching to keep the soil up to the job and the stems & flowers need to be removed when the plant starts to kick along.
And don’t worry about cutting the flowers off, it’s that very act that gives us basil, surely the most flavorsome herb available. Try tasting the leaves prior to flowering, that’s when the flavor is the strongest.
The Many Uses of Basil
Although basil herbs do posses antviral & antibacterial benefits they’re not generally used as a homeopathic extract, they are best known for their benefits to cooking. Part of the mint family they do actually aid digestive processes as well as brewing a pot of tea.
There are actually 60 known species of basil and many more we haven’t discovered yet. Sweet basil is one of the most commonly used herbs for chefs, though lemon basil is just as popular for certain soups, beverages and deserts. Other notable types of basil include cinnamon, African blue (mainly used for aroma) and Opal basil.
Growing your own basil herbs gives you a rare opportunity: you can use it as seasoning when the herbs are extra fresh and straight off the leaves of the plant. Basil you find at the common store has been sitting in a container for days or even weeks and is not anywhere near the same quality.
The dishes you serve up to your family will have that ‘X’ factor if you use fresh basil!
Fanatical herb lover Peter Williams eats, sleeps & breathes herbs, if he doesn’t know the answer, it aint worth knowing… to learn more about where basil herbs came from check out What Are The Most Common Herbs? Click here to get your own unique version of this article with free reprint rights.
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