WHAT IT IS?
Although native to India and Iran, sweet basil or Ocimum basilium, is now widely cultivated worldwide, particularly in southern France, Italy, Hungary, Belgium, Spain and Poland.
Tender, very aromatic and flavorful, this hardy perennial thrives in hot climate with plenty of sunshine and is frequently used in Italian, French, and Greek cuisines.
WHAT IT'S USED FOR?
Sweet basil is a major ingredient in pesto—an Italian sauce used to flavor pasta, grilled meats, and poultry. This herb has also been used for centuries in certain cultures as an antiseptic and digestive aid, and its sweet, spicy, aromatic oil, for its calming effects. Today, the essential oil of sweet basil is commonly used in aromatherapy treatments to relieve stress, migraines and colds.
HOW IT IS USED?
Fresh basil has a pungent, aromatic and spicy flavor, and is often added at the last minute to add flavor to roasted and grilled meats, pasta, sauces and salads, as cooking can diminish its taste. Tearing or pounding the leaves (with olive oil to make pesto) works better than chopping it to release its flavor. To use sweet basil as a natural remedy for indigestion, herbalists steep its leaves in boiling water to make a tea.
RESEARCH SHOWS
Sweet basil contains a compound called rosmarinic acid, which has been shown to have anti-microbial (bacteria-killing) and antioxidant properties. Studies in laboratory settings have shown this compound to kill the bacteria that causes serious and often fatal lung infections in people with compromised immune systems and those with cystic fibrosis (a hereditary disease that causes the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus that affects the lungs and digestive system).
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