Having never given much thought to the origin of Basil, I have to admit that I was very surprised at how many different countries, cultures and eras have glorified and honored this small herb. As one of the world's most widely-used herbs, it has been the basis for, or the result of, many myths, legends, and beliefs.
Although there are varying theories on where this herb originated, the consensus seems to place its origin in India (Other speculations include Asia, Africa and Central and Southern America - all of which are known to have had Basil for quite some time, but no one has been able to pinpoint the date or location of the first plant).
Many cultures seem to have a different story or history behind basil, and they're pretty interesting! So, let's get started!
Greece - This is where basil is said to have gotten its name, although it's a little unclear as to which word was the true original! It is thought to be named after the basilisk, a half- lizard, half-dragon, which could kill with a look (think Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets). It is also said to be named after the Greek word Ocimum basilicum, meaning 'to be fragrant', or basileus, which means 'king'. The basil plant was thought to be a magical cure against the basilisk (which is not too far off, as basil is still considered a medicinal cure of venomous bites - see the next section for more uses), and the Ancient Greeks called this miracle plant 'basilikon phuton' which means royal herb. In Greece today, basil is still grown for ornamental purposes and is used in certain religious rituals as a symbol of fertility.
India - Basil is considered the most sacred plant, next to the lotus. It was consecrated to the Hindu god, Vishnu, whose wife Tulasi (also known as Tulsi) was said to have taken the form of basil when she came to earth. This is why Hindus avoid harming basil plants, unless there's a good reason, and even offer prayers of forgiveness for touching a part of Tulasi. Tradition even requires the head of a Hindu to be bathed in Tulasi water before being buried, and a Tulasi leaf is placed on the chest over the heart.
Ancient Rome/Italy - Basil was considered a symbol of hatred, and yet it eventually became a token of love in Italy. Young maidens would wear a sprig of basil in their hair to profess their availability. In some regions of Italy, basil is known as "kiss-me-Nicholas" (this made me think of mistletoe, but I couldn't find any proof of a connection between the two, except that mistletoe was thought to originate in Rome).
Romania - A symbol of love. If a boy accepts a sprig of basil from a girl, it means they are engaged to be married! (Insert joke about accepting basil from strangers here =)
Basil is a member of the mint family, and as well as adding a great flavor to all your favorite recipes, the medicinal uses and benefits of basil are plentiful! To save space in everyone's mailbox, I'm going to move away from my long-winded ways, and just list them. If you want more details about any of these, please see the Basil Sites listed in section G:
-Stimulates appetite -Curbs flatulence
-Basil Tea: Helps with colds, flu, sinusitis, headaches, reduce fever, dysentery, nausea and stomach distress due to gas.
-Heightens vitality (when mixed with borage to make a tea)
-Dried leaves are used in a snuff as remedy for colds
-Leaves of hairy basil can be used for thier anti-asthmatic properties
-The leaves and seeds can be used as both a laxative and for treatment of diarrhea (I don't really understand how this can be, but these uses keep coming up...we're talking about a miracle plant here...)
-Helps symptoms of both depression and menopause
-Improves blood circulation
-It can draw out poison from insect bites (as well as repel flies and mosquitoes)
-A sedative
-Good for stopping morning and travel sickness
-Prevents peptic ulcers, and other stress-related conditions (such as hypertension and colitis)
-Lowers blood sugar levels
-Anti-inflammatory
**** A word of warning - Do not use the essential oil externally or internally during pregnancy! (And you should always consult with a doctor before trying any at-home remedies)
Basil is basil is basil, right? Not so. There are many different varieties of basil, and the flavor, color, and taste are different, depending on what kind of basil you buy or grow, and how you store or use it! I'm only going to discuss a few of the most popular (or interesting) basil varieties. To learn more, check out
Sweet Basil - the most common variety - the kind you probably use in your sauces, salads and soups. Sweet basil has deep green leaves and a white flower that is actually edible!
Cinnamon Basil - cinnamon-colored stems, purple flowers and dark green leaves. Has a cinnamon-like taste and odor. Used in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern-style dishes.
Lemon Basil - small, light green leaves and a lemony fragrance and flavor. Often used in Indonesian cuisine, to flavor fish and to add a lemony zing to tea.
Lettuce Leaf Basil - large, crinkled green leaves with a sweeter flavor than other varieties. Often used in salads.
Depending on what flavor you want to add to your dishes, you should select the variety accordingly. Another factor to consider is how strong you want the flavor. You can't get the full flavor of basil when using dried basil, but depending on your preference, this may be what you're looking for! When using dried basil, remember that you only need one third the amount of fresh basil (if the recipe calls for a cup of fresh basil, only use one third of a cup of dried basil, and vice versa).
Although basil can be dried for longer storage, it does not freeze very well, and how long you'll be storing your basil should be a factor in selecting what kind of basil you will use.
Basil is a versatile herb that can be added to almost any dish. It is fantastic in soups and pasta sauces (it is better to add it only in the last thirty minutes of cooking, as the longer you leave it in, the weaker the flavor will be). It is also great for any tomato-based dishes, as well as for meat, poultry or fish. I usually like to start with a couple of recipes using our own delicious soups or sauces, but basil can be used to add a superb flavor to any of our products, so use your imagination and have fun!
Classic Pesto Sauce
No basil article would be complete without a pesto sauce recipe! I'm sure there are about as many variations to this recipe as there are to guacamole recipes, so I'm just going to give a basic one, and experiment as you want!
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped walnuts or pine nuts
2 garlic cloves, peeled
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups fresh basil leaves (about 4 ounces)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1. Combine nuts and garlic in a food processor until minced. Add oil; pulse three times. 2. Add basil, cheese and salt. Process until finely minced, scraping the sides of the bowl once. Store in refrigerator.
Recipe Variations
-If you like pesto, but would rather less intense basil flavor, try using only 1-2 cups basil.
-For a lower fat alternative, replace the olive oil with 2/3 cup chicken or vegetable stock, and use fat-free or low-fat Parmesan cheese.
For all the chick-pea lovers out there, this recipe is a tasty variation on traditional hummus.
1 can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), almost drained (keep juice)
1 packed cup of fresh basil, chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1. Put chickpeas, basil, and some of the lemon into bowl. Puree using blender.
2. Add lemon juice until desired consistency and taste. If still too thick, you can add some of the leftover juice from the chickpea can.
3. Serve as a dip or use as a spread on fresh bread.
Recipe Variations
-Add minced garlic to taste
-Blend in some sun-dried tomatoes (with the garlic and the sun- dried tomatoes, this variation of hummus is absolutely fantastic!)
1 (16 ounce) package linguine pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
8 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 pinch salt
1 pinch pepper
1 1/2 cups grated Romano cheese
1 cup prepared basil pesto (see classic pesto recipe)
1 pound cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined 20 mushrooms, chopped
3 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion until tender and translucent. Stir in garlic and butter, and saute until garlic is soft and fragrant, about 1 minute.
3.
Dissolve flour in milk, and then stir in. Season with salt and pepper, and simmer 4 minutes, stirring constantly.
4.
Add cheese, and stir until melted. Stir in pesto. Add shrimp, mushrooms and tomatoes. Cook 4 minutes, or until heated through. Toss with pasta until evenly coated.
Recipe Variations
-Instead of shrimp, you could substitute sliced Portobello mushrooms or chicken -If you want a fast, easy, but still delicious variation on this recipe, you could use a package of our Rose with Parmesan pasta sauce, add in the minced basil, (or the pesto, depending on your preference), garlic, mushrooms, shrimp and salt and pepper to taste.
-For any rose sauce, I always like to add sun-dried tomatoes.
They give the sauce an extra burst of flavor.
1 stick of Italian bread
Olive oil
Ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
Chopped fresh oregano
Basil leaves, cut into small pieces
Garlic cloves, peeled and minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
1. Toast bread over a grill or in oven at 425 degrees. Brown on both sides. Remove and brush with oil.
2. In a bowl, combine tomatoes, oregano, basil, garlic, salt and pepper. Top warm bread with mixture.
Recipe Variations
-Top with cheese, of course! A good choice is grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese
3 1/2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, cut in half
12 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup buttermilk
2-4 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1. Cook potatoes, onion, celery, garlic, and salt until potatoes are tender. Remove and discard celery.
2.
Mash potatoes. Blend cottage cheese and milk until smooth.
3.
Add to potatoes along with remaining ingredients, mixing until smooth. Reheat over very low heat.
Recipe Variations
-For a low fat option, use low-fat sour cream instead of buttermilk and cottage cheese.
This one is pretty long, and involved, but if you're feeling adventurous...yum!
Rolls
1/2 pound medium shrimp
1/2 pound pork loin
1 (8 ounce) package rice noodles
12 round rice wrapper sheets
1 bunch fresh Thai basil - leaves picked from stems
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup chopped fresh mint
2 cups bean sprouts
Sauce
1 cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon water
Chopped roasted peanuts
1. Bring a medium stockpot of lightly salted water to a low boil. Cook shrimp 2 to 3 minutes, or until opaque. Drain, allow to cool slightly, and pat dry with paper towel. Peel, devein, and slice in half.
2. Bring another stockpot of lightly salted water to a boil.
Cook pork at a low boil for approximately 10 minutes, to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Allow to cool, and slice into thin strips.
3. Again, bring a stockpot of water to a boil. Cook noodles until tender, stirring occasionally, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Strain, and rinse to prevent sticking.
4. Fill a medium bowl with warm water. Dip each wrapper in water for about 30 seconds until soft and flexible. Lay wrapper on a flat surface, and place 2 basil leaves in center, side by side, about 2 inches from edge of wrapper. Lay 4 to 5 shrimp halves on basil, followed by a small amount of pork, then a small amount of noodles. Sprinkle with cilantro, mint, and top with bean sprouts. Starting at one end, roll the wrapper over once, fold both sides in toward center, and continue rolling as tightly as possible without tearing. The end result should be a roll approximately 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick.
5. Warm hoisin sauce, peanut butter, and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, and immediately remove from heat. Garnish sauce with chopped peanuts, if desired, and serve with rolls for dipping.
I'm a bit of a dessert nut, and just can't let a newsletter go
without having at least one dessert recipe. I'll be honest, I
haven't tried this myself, but it's always fun to try new things!
1. Cook 1 cup milk in a heavy saucepan over low heat until
bubbly. Stir in 1 cup basil leaves, and remove from heat. Cover
and let stand at room temperature 20 minutes.
2. Process basil mixture in a blender until smooth, stopping to
scrape down sides. Pour mixture through a wire-mesh strainer
into a bowl, discarding solids. Set aside.
3. Cook remaining 1 cup milk, whipping cream, and 1/2 cup
sugar in saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, just until
mixture is bubbly. Remove from heat.
4. Beat egg yolks and remaining 1/2 cup sugar at medium speed
with an electric mixer until thick and pale. Gradually stir about
one-fourth of hot milk mixture into yolks; add to remaining
hot mixture, stirring constantly. Stir in basil mixture and, if
desired, liqueur; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 6
minutes or until mixture thickens and coats a spoon. Cover
and chill 4 hours.
5. Pour chilled mixture into freezer container of a 1-gallon
electric ice-cream freezer, and freeze according to
manufacturer's instructions.
6. Pack with additional ice and rock salt, and let stand 1 hour.
Serve in frozen lemon shells, and garnish, if desired.
Recipe Variation
-For those chocolate lovers out there, you can garnish with
chocolate sauce.
Want to learn more about the herb of year 2003? Look no
further! (this link is a wee bit too long, so you have to
highlight both lines to cut and paste into the browser.)
G. Stress Relieving Gardening - Some Basil-Growing Tips
Sweet basil, along with being delicious and useful, is one of the
easiest herbs to grow. You can grow your basil indoors or
outdoors, but just make sure you choose a sunny spot (your
plant will need at least 6-8 hours of bright light per day).
If you are growing your basil outdoors, wait until the spring
frost is over before sowing the seeds (Basil is a little 'high-
maintenance' when it comes to its need for warmth).
Once planted, you should see your little sprouts start to grow
within 5-7 days! You should water your basil plants every 7-10
days, depending on the amount of rainfall (if any).
For a bushy, healthy plant, remember to prune your basil
plant! Just pinch off the flower buds as soon as they begin to
emerge (usually every 2-3 weeks).
***Helpful gardening tip: Having trouble with white flies
ruining your tomato plant? Well, planting your basil plants
next to them will help keep these little guys off your tomato
plants! (See, tomatoes and basil go well together right from the
beginning =)
"I tried the mushroom soup and it was great! I actually heated it
up the second time and put it on pasta as a sauce. Even the kids
liked it! I would definitely recommend it to others."
Priscilla Eby, FL
"I have to recommend these pasta sauces to everyone! The Alfredo
sauce is absolutely delicious and so easy to make. I'll definitely
be ordering more. No pantry should be without them."
Catherine Lacombe, AB
"I tried a sampler of pasta sauces. I got my order today, made
spaghetti for supper and I was very satisfied when my kids who
"hate" everything loved the spaghetti tonight!!"
Lynn Bergeron, ON
Share your latest creations or favorite recipes with us - it could be featured in our next newsletter, and might even appear in our Customers Recipe section. Click Here to send us your recipe.
Schnitzle Variation
"I used the Wild Mushroom sauce mix for some venison
schnitzle, and it was great! You can make as thick or thin a
sauce as you'd like. Not too shabby!"
Susan Schraeder, MN
Vegetable Garlic Pasta
"I tried the Creamy Garlic Sauce today and was really impressed. I
added broccoli florets, sliced black olives, and sliced
mushrooms. I tossed it with some thin spaghetti and shredded
parmesan cheese. My husband thought it was better than a
restaurant meal. It was creamy, extremely tasty and soooo
easy. Thanks, I'll be ordering this one again."
Jean Yeager, PA
"The cooking was very easy; didn't stick or burn and actually had a
good flavor, that wasn't just a spice cover-up. Awesome, and
didn't taste anything like some of the Kibble-flavored goods
out there."
Wendy Richards, ON
- I used to eat a lot of natural foods until I learned that most people
die of natural causes.
- Gardening Rule: When weeding, the best way to make sure you are
removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes
out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant.
- The easiest way to find something lost around the house is to buy a
replacement.
- Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
- There are two kinds of pedestrians: the quick and the dead.
- An unbreakable toy is useful for breaking other toys.
- If quitters never win, and winners never quit, then who is the fool
who said, "Quit while you're ahead?"
- Health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.
- The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.
- Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; teach that
person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks.
- Some people are like Slinkies...not really good for anything, but
you still can't help but smile when you see one tumble down the
stairs.
- Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals
dying of nothing.
- Have you noticed since everyone has a camcorder these days no
one talks about seeing UFOs like they used to?
- Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.
- All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention
to criticism.
- Why does a slight tax increase cost you two hundred dollars and a
substantial tax cut saves you thirty cents?
- In the 60's, people took acid to make the world weird. Now the
world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.
- How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it
takes a whole box to start a campfire
