Mountain Rose Herbs – Basil Leaf

$12.00 – $24.00

Basil is well known for its sweet aroma and the fresh, delicious flavor that it lends to food. Basil is traditionally used to spice up pasta, meat, soups and sauces. As a flavoring agent, basil is best added at the end of cooking as the intense heat will quickly deteriorate its characteristic taste and aroma.

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Description

The basil plant is originally native to India, and is best known for the scent and flavor that it imparts to Italian cuisine. The varieties of basil are nearly endless, with different cultivars providing a slightly different product within the same species due to hybridization and growing conditions. Generally speaking, the herb is sweet, slightly minty and slightly peppery.
Basil grows best outdoors in a warm, sunny environment as a garden herb, and can also be potted and grown in a window with plenty of sun. Basil is sensitive to cold and will grow as an annual in regions that frost during the winter. Due to its environmental sensitivity, the herb should be planted in late spring or early summer after the risk of frosting has passed.

COMMON NAME

Standardized: basil
Other: sweet basil

BOTANICAL NAME

Ocimum basilicum L.
Plant Family: Lamiaceae

CONSTITUENTS

Basil has a unique aroma because of the many constituents of its essential oil. The oil contains 1,8-cineol, citral, eugenol, linalool, methyl chavicol, methyl cinnamate in relatively large quantities and bisabolene, camphor, cryophyllene, geraniol, and ocimene in smaller quantities influencing taste and action in the body.

PARTS USED

Dried leaf in teas or essential oils for topical application.

TYPICAL PREPARATIONS

The essential oil used topically. As a spice it can be liberally used in foods.

SUMMARY

Basil is well known for its sweet aroma and the fresh, delicious flavor that it lends to food. Basil is traditionally used to spice up pasta, meat, soups and sauces. It is the key ingredient of pesto sauce, where it is mixed with hard cheese, pine nuts, and olive oil. As a flavoring agent, basil is best added at the end of cooking as the intense heat will quickly deteriorate its characteristic taste and aroma. In addition to its culinary uses, basil is used to add fragrance to perfumes, soaps, shampoos, and other body care products.

PRECAUTIONS

Specific: No known precautions.
General: We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.

For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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