Sweet Basils
Sweet Basils or Ocimum basilicum belongs to the family Lamiaceae and can be found in tropical Asia, Africa, Central America and South America. It is widely cultivated commercially as a condiment or for the production of essential oil. When people use the term “basil,” they’re usually referring to the pesto varieties of the herb, such as Sweet, Genovese and Italian Large Leaf. Ranging from compact to large and leafy, pesto basils are the most aromatic of the bunch.
Purple Basils
Purple basil can be used any way the people would use green basil, though it may have a slightly less powerful taste. The main reason people grow purple basil over green basil is for its beauty. Purple basils are highly marketable herbs, not only for culinary purposes but also for their ornamental value.
Lemon Basils
Lemon basil is grown as a culinary herb, used fresh and dried in floral arrangements, and potpourris. As anyone can guess by the name, citrus basils combine the traditional sweet and spicy taste of regular basil with the zesty aroma of citrus. These compact plants with bright green leaves come in several lemon and lime-scented varieties. Lemon basil cultivar with an intense lemon aroma, light green leaves, and small white flowers, provides a new type of lemon basil for the herb industry.
Other Basils
Though many basil varieties appear identical, upon tasting anyone find an array of differing aromas. Some other basil varieties include:
• Cinnamon Basil: Combines a strong cinnamon flavor with the taste of traditional basil. Cinnamon basil has distinctive cinnamon-colored stems, purple flowers tinged with bronze, and small- to medium-sized, dark green leaves.
• Anise Basil: Has a sweet licorice flavor and a leggy growth habit
• Fine Leaf Basils: Smaller varieties that have a more ornamental look
• Bush Basils: Compact basils that come in both purple and green varieties with shiny leaves that are slightly curled and very small.
Basils are very popular in Thai cuisine. Vietnamese and Chinese also use fresh or dried basils in soups and other foods. In Taiwan, people add fresh basil leaves to thick soups. They also eat fried chicken with deep fried basil leaves.
Varieties of basil
