Gardening: 6 Types Of Basils You Can Grow And What Makes Each Uniquely Different
Basil is one of the most commonly used culinary herbs all over the world. A small sprinkling of basils can add wonders to a pasta dish, stew, or pizza sauces! You may be aware of the many ways to use basils, but did you know that they are of a large variety and that each of them is unique, too? Here we have six basils which we recommend that you start cultivating as well as why they are so beneficial.
You may not know it yet, but basils are very easy to grow because they are very hardy crops. If you need more reasons to grow them, then you'd like to know that basils, no matter what kind, are very beneficial to your health.
Outlined below are our six favorite basils to grow – aside from the conventional "Sweet" basil you see about the grocery stores! Try these for a change!
1. Greek Basil
The leaves of the Greek basil are of small sizes. This basil is much lesser known than the typical "Sweet" basil when it is, in fact, sweeter than it!
The Greek basil also affords great aesthetics as it grows into a stunning dome shape sure to add a certain appeal to your garden!
2. Cinnamon Basil
This kind of basil has the chemical "Methyl Cinnamate" in common with cinnamon. Thus, its nomenclature. Just like cinnamon, the cinnamon basil has a spicy cinnamon smell and taste. So, it can be applied in pastries as well as other dishes like the typical basil.
The leaves of this particular basil are smaller than the typical basil; they have a dark green color and astonishingly grow off of beautiful violet stems.
3. Holy Basil
You may know the holy basil, which has leaves smaller than the "Sweet basil" variety, by other names like the Sacred or Tulsi basil. It is regarded as the most potent basil because of its excellent medicinal properties.
In, Ayurvedic medicine it is called an "elixir of life" because it is believed to promote longevity. Furthermore, it can help your body adapt to stress, kill off harmful molecules, and prevent oxidative damage caused by free radicals.
4. Dark Opal Basil
This basil has a characteristic deep dark purple color, which it owes to the presence of anthocyanins, a flavonoid known to act as a powerful antioxidant.
The Dark Opal basil has a powerful flavor but isn't as sweet as "Sweet" Basil.
5. Lemon Basil
Expectedly, this basil has a lemon fragrance as well as the characteristic citrusy flavor of lemons! This complex flavor is explained to be because of its high concentration of "Citral."
This makes the lemon basil a treasurable spice when it comes to creating distinctive flavors in pastries, teas, and exotic dishes.
Note: there is also the lime basil, which is very zesty like the lemon basil. Furthermore, it similarly has a high concentration of "citral," which affords its citrus-y features.
6. Thai Basil
Thai Basil is grown on gorgeous purple stems & has an anise-like flavor with a little citrus & mint. If you didn't already guess it, this basil is most commonly recommended for cooking Thai dishes.
Not only will it give the dish an exotic tang, but it is also suited for high cooking temperatures like such Thai dishes require.
There you have it! Add any of these basils to your spice repertoire, and you're sure to get winning comments.
Thank us later!
