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Basil

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Food and agriculture;
Plants

          How to read a taxoboxBasil
           Scientific classification

   Kingdom:  Plantae
   Division: Magnoliophyta
   Class:    Magnoliopsida
   Order:    Lamiales
   Family:   Lamiaceae
   Genus:    Ocimum
   Species:  O. basilicum

                                Binomial name

   Ocimum basilicum
   L.

   Basil (Ocimum basilicum) of the Family Lamiaceae is also known as Sweet
   Basil. It is a tender low-growing herb that is grown as a perennial in
   warm, tropical climates. Basil is originally native to India and other
   tropical regions of Asia, having been cultivated there for more than
   5,000 years. It is prominently featured in varied cuisines throughout
   the world including Italian, Thai, Vietnamese and Laotian. It grows to
   between 20–60 cm tall, with opposite, light green, silky leaves 1.5–5
   cm long and 1–3 cm broad. The flowers are quite big, white in colour
   and arranged in a terminal spike. Unusual among Lamiaceae, the four
   stamens and the pistil are not pushed under the upper lip of the
   corolla, but lay over the inferior. After entomophilous pollination,
   the corolla falls off and four round achenes develop inside the
   bilabiate calyx. The plant tastes somewhat like anise, with a strong,
   pungent, sweet smell. Basil is very sensitive to cold, with best growth
   in hot, dry conditions. While most common varieties are treated as
   annuals, some are perennial, including African Blue and Holy Thai
   basil.

   The word basil comes from the Greek βασιλεύς (basileus), meaning
   "king", as it is believed to have grown above the spot where St.
   Constantine and Helen discovered the Holy Cross. The Oxford English
   Dictionary quotes speculations that basil may have been used in "some
   royal unguent, bath, or medicine". Basil is still considered the "king
   of herbs" by many cookery authors. An alternative etymology has "basil"
   coming from the Latin word basilicus, meaning dragon and being the root
   for basilisk, but this likely was a linguistic reworking of the word as
   brought from Greece.
   Fresh basil leaves.
   Fresh basil leaves.
   Basil sprouts. The gel is the dissolving seed coat.
   Basil sprouts. The gel is the dissolving seed coat.

Basil, the herb

   Dried basil leaves.
   Dried basil leaves.

   Basil is most commonly recommended to be used fresh, and in cooked
   recipes, is generally added at the last moment, as cooking destroys the
   flavour quickly. The fresh herb can be kept for a short time in plastic
   bags in the refrigerator, or for a longer period in the freezer, after
   being blanched quickly in boiling water. The dried herb also loses most
   of its flavour, and what little flavour remains tastes very different,
   with a weak coumarin flavour, like hay.

   Mediterranean and Indochinese cuisines frequently use basil, the former
   frequently combining it with tomato. Basil is one of the main
   ingredients in pesto — a green Italian oil-and-herb sauce from the city
   of Genoa, its other two main ingredients being olive oil and pine nuts.
   The most commonly used Mediterranean basil cultivars are 'Genovese',
   'Purple Ruffles', 'Mammoth', 'Cinnamon', 'Lemon', 'Globe', and 'African
   Blue'. Chinese also use fresh or dried basils in soups and other foods.
   In Taiwan, people add fresh basil leaves into thick soups (羹湯;
   gēngtāng). They also eat fried chicken with deep-fried basil leaves.

   Basil is sometimes used with fresh fruit and in fruit jams and sauces —
   in particular with strawberries, but also raspberries or dark-colored
   plums. Arguably the flat-leaf basil used in Vietnamese cooking, which
   has a slightly different flavour, is more suitable for use with fruit.
   A can of basil seed drink
   A can of basil seed drink

   When soaked in water the seeds of several basil varieties become
   gelatinous, and are used in Asian drinks and desserts such as falooda
   or sherbet. Such seeds are known variously as sabja, subja, takmaria,
   tukmaria, or falooda seeds. They are used for their medicinal
   properties in Ayurveda, the traditional medicinal system of India.

Other basils

          See List of basil cultivars

   Several other basils, including some other Ocimum species, are grown in
   many regions of Asia. Most of the Asian basils have a clove-like
   flavour that is generally stronger than the Mediterranean basils. In
   China, the local cultivar is called 九層塔 (jiǔcéngtǎ; literally
   "nine-level pagoda"), while the imported varieties are specifically
   called 羅勒 (luólè) or 巴西里 (bāxīlǐ).

   'Lemon basil' has a strong lemony smell and flavour very different from
   those of other varieties, because it contains a chemical called citral.
   It is widely used in Indonesia, where it is called kemangi and served
   raw, together with raw cabbage, green beans, and cucumber, as an
   accompaniment to fried fish or duck. Its flowers, broken up, are a
   zesty salad condiment.

Chemical components

   The various basils have such different scents because the herb has a
   number of different essential oils which come together in different
   proportions for various breeds. The strong clove scent of sweet basil
   comes from eugenol, the same chemical as actual cloves. The citrus
   scent of lemon basil and lime basil is because they have a higher
   portion of citral which causes this effect in several plants, including
   lemon mint, and limonene, which gives actual lemon peel its scent.
   African blue basil has a strong camphor smell because it has camphor
   and camphene in higher proportions. Licorice Basil contains anethole,
   the same chemical that makes anise smell like licorice, and in fact is
   sometimes called Anise Basil.

   Other chemicals helping produce the distinctive scents of many basils,
   depending on their proportion in each specific breed, including:
     * cinnamate (same as in cinnamon)
     * citronellol ( geraniums, roses, and citronella)
     * geraniol (as in geranium)
     * linalool (a flowery scent also in coriander)
     * methyl chavicol (which gives tarragon its scent)
     * myrcene ( bay, myrcia)
     * pinene (which is, as the name implies, the chemical which gives
       pine oil its scent)
     * ocimene
     * terpineol

Cultivation

   Basil sprout at an early stage
   Basil sprout at an early stage

   Basil thrives in hot weather, but behaves as an annual if there is any
   chance of a frost. In Northern Europe, the northern states of the U.S.,
   and the South Island of New Zealand it will grow best if sown under
   glass in a peat pot, then planted out in late spring/early summer (when
   there is little chance of a frost). It fares best in a well-drained
   sunny spot.

   Although basil will grow best outdoors, it can be grown indoors in a
   pot and, like most herbs, will do best on a south-facing windowsill (in
   the Northern Hemisphere). It should be kept away from extremely cold
   drafts, and grows best in strong sunlight, therefore a greenhouse or
   cloche is ideal if available. They can, however, be grown even in a
   basement, under fluorescent lights.

   If its leaves have wilted from lack of water, it will recover if
   watered thoroughly and placed in a sunny location. Yellow leaves
   towards the bottom of the plant are an indication that the plant needs
   more sunlight or less fertilizer.

   In sunnier climates such as Southern Europe, the southern states of the
   U.S., the North Island of New Zealand, and Australia, basil will thrive
   when planted outside. It also thrives over the summertime in the
   central and northern United States, but dies out when temperatures
   reach freezing point, to grow again the next year if it was allowed to
   go to seed. It will need regular watering, but not as much attention as
   is needed in other climates.

   Basil can also be propagated very reliably from cuttings in exactly the
   same manner as "Busy Lizzie" (Impatiens), with the stems of short
   cuttings suspended for two weeks or so in water until roots develop.

   If a stem successfully produces mature flowers, leaf production slows
   or stops on any stem which flowers, the stem becomes woody, and
   essential oil production declines.To prevent this, a basil-grower may
   pinch off any flower stems before they are fully mature. Because only
   the blooming stem is so affected, some can be pinched for leaf
   production, while others are left to bloom for decoration or seeds.

   Once the plant is allowed to flower, it may produce seed pods
   containing small black seeds which can be saved and planted the
   following year. Picking the leaves off the plant helps "promote
   growth", largely because the plant responds by converting pairs of
   leaflets next to the topmost leaves into new stems.

Diseases

   Basil suffers from several plant pathogens that can ruin the crop and
   reduce yield. Fusarium wilt is a soilbourne fungal disease that will
   quickly kill younger basil plants. Seedlings may also be killed by
   Pythium damping off.

   A common foliar disease of basil is gray mold caused by Botrytis
   cinerea, can also cause infections post-harvest and is capable of
   killing the entire plant. Black spot can also be seen on basil foliage
   and is caused by the fungi genus Colletotrichum.

Health issues

   Basil, like other aromatic plants such as fennel and tarragon, contains
   Estragole, a known carcinogen and teratogen in rats and mice. While
   human effects are currently unstudied, the rodent experiments indicate
   that it would take 100–1000 times the normal anticipated exposure to
   become a cancer risk.

Cultural aspects

   Flowering basil stalk
   Flowering basil stalk

   There are many rituals and beliefs associated with basil. The French
   call basil "herbe royale". Jewish folklore suggests it adds strength
   while fasting. It is a symbol of love in present-day Italy, but
   represented hatred in ancient Greece. African legend claims that basil
   protects against scorpions while European lore sometimes claims that
   basil is a symbol of Satan.

   Holy Basil, also called ' Tulsi', is highly revered in Hinduism and
   also has religious significance in the Greek Orthodox Church, where it
   is used to prepare holy water. It is said to have been found around
   Christ's tomb after his resurrection. The Serbian Orthodox Church and
   the Macedonian Orthodox Church use basil ( Macedonian: босилек;
   Serbian: босиљак) to prepare holy water and pots of basil are often
   placed below church altars.

   In Europe, they place basil in the hands of the dead to ensure a safe
   journey. In India, they place it in the mouth of the dying to ensure
   they reach God. The ancient Egyptians and ancient Greeks believed that
   it would open the gates of heaven for a person passing on.

   In Boccaccio's Decameron a memorably morbid tale (novella V) tells of
   Lisabetta, whose brothers slay her lover. He appears to her in a dream
   and shows her where he is buried. She secretly disinters the head, and
   sets it in a pot of basil, which she waters with her daily tears. The
   pot being taken from her by her brothers, she dies of her grief not
   long after. Boccaccio's tale is the source of John Keats' poem Isabella
   or The Pot of Basil. A similar story is told of the Longobard queen
   Rosalind.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basil"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
