Basil is considered by many chefs to be the “king of herbs.” Indeed, our word for the plant comes from the Greek “basileus” meaning “king.” Basil grows well in the summer, so there is a lot of it around to use. Here are 7 different basils and their uses.

Basil Variations

Basil has a number of different species, and more varieties than you can shake a stick at. Why should you care? Because different basils blend differently with the food you are preparing.  Some will enhance flavor – but the wrong basil can ruin a dish.

Basil is featured prominently in both Italian and Southeast Asian cuisine.    The species used in Italian food is typically the sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum).

Meanwhile, the Asian basils,  such as Thai basil (Ocimum basilicum var. thyrsiflora), and lemon basil (Ocimum X citriodorum), impart a different kind of flavor.

The basil most often found in supermarkets is sweet basil, not the Asian varieties. Sweet basil grow fine in the Mediterranean region, but that is a more humid climate with more acidic soils and tap water. It has a tough time growing in the arid and alkaline Southwest.

 

Even among the Asian basils there are differences. For example, Thai Queen is said to have a “mild, peppery, sweet flavor,” while Siam Queen is said to have a “spicy flavor with an anise or licorice-like taste.”

More on growing basil varieties on Gardening With Soule.

Using Basil

There are about forty-eleven kinds of basil, and at least one thousand and forty-eleven way to use basil. So the question is – which basil? Holy basil, also called tulsi, is used medicinally, while most other basils are used for culinary purposes. Here are 7 basils and some uses.

European Basils

Sweet Basil

Also sold as Genoese or Italian Basil. This is the mildest and least complexly flavored of the basils. With very large leaves is is perfect for use fresh in salads. It is also commonly used to make pesto, bruschetta, and pizza.

Lettuce Leaf Basil

As the name suggests, the leaves of this variety are lettuce-like. They are large and can reach the size of your palm. They are milder in flavor but can still be used to make pesto, or thinly sliced and added to bruschetta, crostini, soups. and salads.

Purple Sweet Basil

Strikingly beautiful, purple basil adds a pop of color to any dish. I recommend only consuming purple basil in fresh applications like salads. The color will change with cooking and become fairly unappealing.

Asian Basils

This variety includes a number of different flavored basils. Look to the overall flavor profile of the dish you are making. The cinnamon flavor is good in herbal tea or with beef. The anise flavors go better where you would use tarragon, like in egg dishes.

Thai Basil

They have a distinctive aroma and taste that is almost spicy or often reminiscent of anise. Their flowers are strikingly beautiful, forming purple clusters that are fine in salads.

Thai basil is used in a range of Southeast Asian dishes including Thai curries, soups, and pickled vegetables.

Cinnamon Basil

For desserts and tea, but also the cinnamon pairs well with beef. It tasted great in a blended ground beef and venison stir fry. I will try growing this tasty basil again – from seed from Renees Garden Seeds.

Lemon Basil

As the name suggests, this basil has a lemony, citrusy aroma – as well as flavor. The leaves have fine fairs, and this mouth texture keeps it out of my salad bowl unless it is finely chopped. You can use it when a recipe calls for a citrus note, like fish dishes. The lemon also goes well in desserts, or steep it for refreshing herbal tea.

Tulsi

Also called holy basil this species is important and highly revered variety native to the Indian subcontinent. It has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years. Generally used to make tinctures, it is not considered a culinary basil.

Asian Basil Seeds

Basil seeds are edible and are typically consumed after having been soaked in water. There are commercial basil seed drinks available on the market.

As the seeds soak, they become quite gelatinous. They are used in drinks and desserts throughout Asia. Basil seeds are used in Falooda, a refreshing summer treat from India, as well as in Persian beverages.

Side note. If you make some basil seed tea, and then decide you don’t like the flavor, the gelatinous starches the seeds create do amazing things for the garden soil. Alas they do break down over time.

Some Basil Varieties

  African blue basil (Ocimum basilicum X O. kilimandscharicum) 
  camphor basil, African basil (O. kilimandscharicum)
  'Cinnamon' basil (O. basilicum 'Cinnamon')
  'Dark Opal' basil (O. basilicum 'Dark Opal')
  globe basil, dwarf basil, French basil (O. basilicum 'Minimum')
  hoary basil (O. canum)
  holy basil, tulsi (was O. sanctum, now considered O. canum)
  lemon basil (O. X citriodorum)
  lettuce-leaf basil (O. basilicum 'Crispum')
  Mrs Burns' famous lemon basil (O. X citriodorum 'Mrs Burns' Famous Lemon')
  purple basil (O. basilicum 'Purpurescens')
  Queen of Siam basil (O. basilicum X citriodorum)
  Rubin basil (O. basilicum 'Rubin')
  sweet basil (O. basilicum)

Harvest & Store

Growing your own basil? I prefer to harvest only what is needed for a given recipe. But if you need to harvest basil in large quantities or if you buy a bundle from the store, here are some storage options that will help keep it fresh the longest.

First, try to not bruise the leaves, they will turn brown and possibly moldy. Handle minimally.

Treat these herb stems like you would fresh flowers. Gently snip the lower quarter inch off the stems and place the bundle upright in a jar with water on the stems only – not on the leaves. Basil in water this way can last for a few days on the counter. Out of direct Southwestern sunshine. Bright light is okay, just not sunshine.

For longer-term storage, place the jar in the refrigerator with a thin plastic bag loosely covering the basil. Change the water every few days. Basil may stay fresh for up to ten days this way.

How to Preserve

Basil can be preserved for long-term storage in several ways. I go into preserving herbs fairly extensively in my book on Father Kino’s Herbs: Growing and Using Them Today.

Father Kino’s Herbs

The last few copies of this out-of-print award winning Southwestern book are now for sale. Father Kino’s Herbs: Growing and Using Them Today   The review says:

“Award-winning garden writer Dr. Jacqueline A. Soule has pulled together a fascinating book on the life of Father Eusebio Francisco Kino and some of the plants that he brought to Southern Arizona and northwestern Sonora, and area called the Pimeria Alta.”

This link is to our book sales site. The profits from the sale go to the local Horticulture Therapy non-profit Tierra del Sol Institute.  We hope you will help support this great Southwest non-profit!

Drying

This isn’t my preferred method. Dried basil loses much flavor, as so many herbs do. But you can dry it. Here is my YouTube video on drying herbs. Or, you can use a dehydrator.

Herb Butter

I shall have to make a video and a post about this easy way to preserve herbs. Basically simply chop the basil and add it to softened butter. Then freeze it in tablespoon-sized portions. Use these pats of herbed butter on grilled vegetables, steaks, and more.

Freeze

I like to chop fresh basil into fairly fine pieces and freeze it flat in a freezer bag. When I need some, it is fairly easy to just break off a chunk and let it thaw in the dish I am making.  This also works with other green herbs such as scallions, epazote, and cilantro.  Come to think, garlic chives too, only I have so many growing I just run out and harvest.

I just read about this next method. Chop the basil and put it in an ice cube tray. Fill each little cube space then top with olive oil or other oil that solidifies in the cold (coconut oil). Once frozen, you can transfer the cubes to a freezer bag.

Both plain frozen or oil frozen basil can be used to make pesto, swirl into soups, or added to marinades when no fresh basil is available.

Pesto

Make some pesto! Here are some of our pesto recipes on this site. Here is our YouTube for Vegan Pesto. You can store pesto in the fridge (for months even), or freezer, or simply pressure can it. This is one nice way to store the harvest for quick and ready use.

Use Your Basil!

We Savorists do hope you will use some basil to spice up your life. More herbs, less salt! Especially use fresh basil from your yard or maybe the local farmers market – this will help create a greener world for us all.

And here is the paragraph your editor wonders weather to leave in or not.

Unpopular opinion, if you are not a fan of how the dish worked out eat it anyway. Uncle Smoky, in his gruff voice, would say, “Eat it anyway. In 48 hours it will be history in the septic tank.”  But his terms were even coarser than that! He grew up on a farm, and is of a specific generation. It was eat or go hungry.

So what say you? Did you come from the eat what is on your plate generation, or a different one?  We would love to get to know our readers better.

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Disclaimer

The authors of this website have researched the edibility of the materials we discuss, however, humans vary in their ability to tolerate different foods, drinks, and herbs. Individuals consuming flowers, plants, animals or derivatives mentioned in this blog do so entirely at their own risk. The authors on this site cannot be held responsible for any adverse reaction. In case of doubt please consult your medical practitioner.