10 facts on
BASIL
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Known by the binomial Ocimum basilicum (another one named by the
great Linnaeus), basil, a member of the Lamiaceae (the mint family), is a
soft herb with dark green leaves and squarish stems.
by Philip McIntosh 2
Not to be confused with
the city in Switzerland, this
popular herb is a staple of
Mediterranean cooking.
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Native to parts of India, Africa, and Asia, the basil plant is now found
in cultivation all over the world.
Although only a few members of the genus are of culinary interest,
there are more than one hundred species of Ocimum, including both
herbaceous and woody types.
Like other members of the mint family, basil leaves have a strong but
pleasantly pungent odor that hints at their use as a flavoring agent.
As a food ingredient, basil is most often used fresh, since cooking
reduces the flavor considerably.
Sweet basil is probably the most popular cultivar but others such
as purple, bush, lemon, Thai, and dwarf varieties have found their
way to market.
From a nutritional standpoint basil fares pretty well, being low in
calories, a good source of vitamin A and antioxidants, with small
amounts of many minerals thrown in.
The shiny leaves of the basil plant are a good source of essential oils
such as methyl chavicol, linalool, myrcene, pinenes, and many others.
Although generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the USDA, basil
also contains the known carcinogen estragole, which researchers caution
might increase cancer risk if ingested in large amounts.
On the other hand, some studies suggest basil has numerous
health and medicinal benefits including anti-tumor activity against
certain cancers.
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