Basil
BAY-zuhl
Ocimum basilicum
Sweet, peppery, clove and anise.
What it is
Basil is the tender leaf of Ocimum basilicum, a warm-climate herb in the mint family with a sweet, peppery aroma and notes of clove and anise. Sweet Italian basil is the heart of pesto and the classic partner to tomato, garlic, and olive oil, while Thai and holy basil are different varieties with a sharper, more aniseed or peppery edge for Southeast Asian cooking. Basil is best fresh and added at the end, since heat and drying strip much of its fragrance. Tear rather than chop the leaves to keep them from bruising and darkening.
What it pairs with
Goes wrong with: long-cooked dishes that strip its aroma.
Whole vs ground
Basil is best fresh and added at the end. Dried basil loses most of its fragrance, so use it only when fresh is not an option.
How to handle it
Tear rather than chop the leaves to keep them from bruising, and stir them in off the heat so the aroma survives.
Storage
Keep fresh basil stem-down in water at room temperature, not the cold fridge, which blackens it.
Buying note
Look for perky, unblemished leaves with no black spots. Thai and holy basil are sold separately and are not the same as sweet basil.
Classic dishes
pesto, caprese, Thai basil chicken, tomato sauce.
Out of basil? Substitutes
No substitute is exact. These are the closest by flavor behavior, with the ratio to start from and how the result will differ.
| Use instead | Ratio | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| fresh oregano, or a basil and parsley mix | to taste | loses basil's sweet anise note |
One odd thing
Sweet basil, Thai basil, and holy basil are different varieties of the same plant family and are not interchangeable.