Basil – china limbs retainer splint – medical crutch
Etymology
The word basil comes from the Greek (basileus), meaning “king”, as it is believed to have grown above the spot where St. Constantine and Helen discovered the Holy Cross. The Oxford English Dictionary quotes speculations that basil may have been used in “some royal unguent, bath, or medicine”. Basil is still considered the “king of herbs” by many cookery authors.[who?]
Nomenclature and taxonomy
This section requires expansion.
The genetic family and different species name are detailed here.
Culinary use
Dried basil leaves.
Basil is commonly used fresh in cooked recipes. It is generally added at the last moment, as cooking quickly destroys the flavour. The fresh herb can be kept for a short time in plastic bags in the refrigerator, or for a longer period in the freezer, after being blanched quickly in boiling water. The dried herb also loses most of its flavour, and what little flavour remains tastes very different, with a weak coumarin flavour, like hay.
Basil is one of the main ingredients in pesto green Italian oil-and-herb sauce. Its other two main ingredients are olive oil and pine nuts.
The most commonly used Mediterranean basil cultivars are “Genovese”, “Purple Ruffles”, “Mammoth”, “Cinnamon”, “Lemon”, “Globe”, and “African Blue”. The Chinese also use fresh or dried basils in soups and other foods. In Taiwan, people add fresh basil leaves to thick soups (traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: gngtng). They also eat fried chicken with deep-fried basil leaves. Basil (most commonly Thai Basil) is commonly steeped in cream or milk to create an interesting flavor in ice cream or chocolates (such as truffles).
Basil is sometimes used with fresh fruit and in fruit jams and saucesn particular with strawberries, but also raspberries or dark-colored plums. Arguably the flat-leaf basil used in Vietnamese cooking, which has a slightly different flavour, is more suitable for use with fruit.
Basil seeds
When soaked in water the seeds of several basil varieties become gelatinous, and are used in Asian drinks and desserts such as falooda or Sherbet. Such seeds are known variously as sabza, subza, takmaria, tukmaria, tukhamaria, falooda, selasih (Malay/Indonesian) or h (Vietnamese). They are used for their medicinal properties in Ayurveda, the traditional medicinal system of India and Siddha medicine, a traditional Tamil system of medicine. They are also used as popular drinks in Southeast Asia.
Other basils
See List of basil cultivars
Several other basils, including some other Ocimum species, are grown in many regions of Asia. Most of the Asian basils have a clove-like flavour that is generally stronger than the Mediterranean basils. The most notable is the holy basil or tulsi, a revered home-grown plant in India and Nepal. In China, the local cultivar is called (traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ji-cng-t; literally “nine-level pagoda”), while the imported varieties are specifically called (traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: lu-l) or (traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: b-x-l), although [ often refers to another different kind plantarsley.
Lemon basil has a strong lemony smell and flavour very different from those of other varieties because it contains a chemical called citral. It is widely used in Indonesia, where it is called kemangi and served raw, together with raw cabbage, green beans, and cucumber, as an accompaniment to fried fish or duck. Its flowers, broken up, are a zesty salad condiment.
Chemical components
The various basils have such different scents because the herb has a number of different essential oils which come together in different proportions for various breeds. The strong clove scent of sweet basil is derived from eugenol, the same chemical as actual cloves[citation needed]. The citrus scent of lemon basil and lime basil is because they have a higher portion of citral which causes this effect in several plants, including lemon mint, and limonene, which gives actual lemon peel its scent. African blue basil has a strong camphor smell because it has camphor and camphene in higher proportions. Licorice Basil contains anethole, the same chemical that makes anise smell like licorice, and in fact is sometimes called Anise Basil.
Other chemicals helping produce the distinctive scents of many basils, depending on their proportion in each specific breed, including[citation needed]:
citronellol (scented geraniums, roses, and citronella)[citation needed]
linalool (a flowery scent also in coriander)
myrcene (bay leaf, myrcia)[citation needed]
pinene (which is, as the name implies, the chemical which gives pine oil its scent)
ocimene
terpineol
linalyl acetate
fenchyl acetate
[[trans-ocimene]]
1,8-cineole
camphor octanane
methyl eugenol
eugenol
beta-caryophyllene
There are four main types of basil, including *exotic, French, **methyl cinnamate and augenol basil.
French Basil; Ocimum basilicum, contains lower amounts of phenols and is therefore less toxic than exotic basil.
contains Methyl chavicol (40-80%) **contains methyl cinnamate – ether 90%
Basil and oregano contain large amounts of (E)-beta-caryophyllene (BCP), which might have a use in treating inflammatory bowel diseases and arthritis. BCP is the only product identified in nature that activates CB2 selectively; it interacts with one of two cannabinoid receptors (CB2), blocking chemical signals that lead to inflammation, without triggering cannabis’s mood-altering effects.
Cultivation
Timelapse of growing basil.
Basil growing in the sun
Basil sprout at an early stage
Basil grows to between 30130 cm tall, with opposite, light green, silky leaves 311 cm long and 16 cm broad. The flowers are small, white in color and arranged in a terminal spike. Unusual among Lamiaceae, the four stamens and the pistil are not pushed under the upper lip of the corolla, but lay over the inferior. After entomophilous pollination, the corolla falls off and four round achenes develop inside the bilabiate calyx.
Basil is very sensitive to cold, with best growth in hot, dry conditions. It behaves as an annual if there is any chance of a frost. In Northern Europe, Canada, the northern states of the U.S., and the South Island of New Zealand it will grow best if sown under glass in a peat pot, then planted out in late spring/early summer (when there is little chance of a frost). It fares best in a well-drained sunny spot.
Although basil will grow best outdoors, it can be grown indoors in a pot and, like most herbs, will do best on an equator-facing windowsill. It should be kept away from extremely cold drafts, and grows best in strong sunlight, therefore a greenhouse or Row cover is ideal if available. They can, however, be grown even in a basement, under fluorescent lights.
If its leaves have wilted from lack of water, it will recover if watered thoroughly and placed in a sunny location. Yellow leaves towards the bottom of the plant are an indication that the plant needs more sunlight or less fertilizer.
In sunnier climates such as Southern Europe, the southern states of the U.S., the North Island of New Zealand, and Australia, basil will thrive when planted outside. It also thrives over the summertime in the central and northern United States, but dies out when temperatures reach freezing point. It will grow back the next year if allowed to go to seed. It will need regular watering, but not as much attention as is needed in other climates.
Basil can also be propagated very reliably from cuttings in exactly the same manner as Busy Lizzie (Impatiens), with the stems of short cuttings suspended for two weeks or so in water until roots develop.
If a stem successfully produces mature flowers, leaf production slows or stops on any stem which flowers, the stem becomes woody, and essential oil production declines.To prevent this, a basil-grower may pinch off any flower stems before they are fully mature. Because only the blooming stem is so affected, some can be pinched for leaf production, while others are left to bloom for decoration or seeds.
Once the plant is allowed to flower, it may produce seed pods containing small black seeds which can be saved and planted the following year. Picking the leaves off the plant helps “promote growth”, largely because the plant responds by converting pairs of leaflets next to the topmost leaves into new stems.
Diseases
Basil suffers from several plant pathogens that can ruin the crop and reduce yield. Fusarium wilt is a soil-borne fungal disease that will quickly kill younger basil plants. Seedlings may also be killed by Pythium damping off.
A common foliar disease of basil is gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea, can also cause infections post-harvest and is capable of killing the entire plant. Black spot can also be seen on basil foliage and is caused by the fungi genus Colletotrichum.
Health effects
Recently, there has been much research into the health benefits conferred by the essential oils found in basil. Scientific studies have established that compounds in basil oil have potent antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-viral, and anti-microbial properties. In addition, basil has been shown to decrease the occurrence of platelet aggregation and experimental thrombus in mice. It is traditionally used for supplementary treatment of stress, asthma and diabetes in India. In Siddha medicine, it is used for treating pimples on the face, but noted that intake of the seeds in large quantities is harmful for the brain[citation needed].
Basil, like other aromatic plants such as fennel and tarragon, contains estragole, a known carcinogen and teratogen in rats and mice. While human effects are currently unstudied, the rodent experiments indicate that it would take 1001000 times the normal anticipated exposure to become a cancer risk.
Cultural aspects
There are many rituals and beliefs associated with basil. The French sometimes call basil “l’herbe royale”. Jewish folklore suggests it adds strength while fasting. It is a symbol of love in present-day Italy, but represented hatred in ancient Greece, and European lore sometimes claims that basil is a symbol of Satan. African legend claims that basil protects against scorpions, while the English botanist Culpeper cites one “Hilarius, a French physician” as affirming it as common knowledge that smelling basil too much would breed scorpions in the brain.
Holy Basil, also called ‘Tulsi’ , is highly revered in Hinduism and also has religious significance in the Greek Orthodox Church, where it is used to prepare holy water. It is said to have been found around Christ’s tomb after his resurrection. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Serbian Orthodox Church, Macedonian Orthodox Church and Romanian Orthodox Church use basil (Bulgarian and Macedonian: ; Romanian: busuioc, Serbian: ) to prepare holy water and pots of basil are often placed below church altars.
In Europe, basil is placed in the hands of the dead to ensure a safe journey. In India, they place it in the mouth of the dying to ensure they reach God. The ancient Egyptians and ancient Greeks believed that it would open the gates of heaven for a person passing on.[citation needed]
In Boccaccio’s Decameron a memorably morbid tale (novella V) tells of Lisabetta, whose brothers slay her lover. He appears to her in a dream and shows her where he is buried. She secretly disinters the head, and sets it in a pot of basil, which she waters with her daily tears. The pot being taken from her by her brothers, she dies of her grief not long after. Boccaccio’s tale is the source of John Keats’ poem Isabella or The Pot of Basil – which in turn inspired the paintings Isabella (Millais painting) and Isabella and the Pot of Basil. A similar story is told of the Longobard queen Rosalind.
Toxicity studies
Further information: Ocimum basilicum
Gallery
Flowering basil stalk and leaves
Fresh basil leaves
Basil seeds
Basil plant
A can of basil seed drink
Flowering basil stalk
Basil leaves.
See also
List of basil cultivars
References
Diseases of Basil and Their Management
http://www.rpsgb.org.uk/pdfs/pr090909sabs132.pdf
Footnotes
^ J. Janick (ed.), James E. Simon, Mario R. Morales, Winthrop B. Phippen, Roberto Fontes Vieira, and Zhigang Hao, “Basil: A Source of Aroma Compounds and a Popular Culinary and Ornamental Herb”, reprinted from: Perspectives on new crops and new uses (1999), ASHS Press, Alexandria, VA, ISBN 978-0-9615027-0-6.
^ Anti-inflammatory compound from cannabis found in herbs
^ Bozin B, Mimica-Dukic N, Simin N, Anackov G (March 2006). “Characterization of the volatile composition of essential oils of some lamiaceae spices and the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the entire oils”. J. Agric. Food Chem. 54 (5): 18228. doi:10.1021/jf051922u. PMID 16506839.
^ Chiang LC, Ng LT, Cheng PW, Chiang W, Lin CC (October 2005). “Antiviral activities of extracts and selected pure constituents of Ocimum basilicum”. Clin. Exp. Pharmacol. Physiol. 32 (10): 8116. doi:10.1111/j.1440-1681.2005.04270.x. PMID 16173941.
^ de Almeida I, Alviano DS, Vieira DP, et al. (July 2007). “Antigiardial activity of Ocimum basilicum essential oil”. Parasitol. Res. 101 (2): 44352. doi:10.1007/s00436-007-0502-2. PMID 17342533.
^ Manosroi J, Dhumtanom P, Manosroi A (April 2006). “Anti-proliferative activity of essential oil extracted from Thai medicinal plants on KB and P388 cell lines”. Cancer Lett. 235 (1): 11420. doi:10.1016/j.canlet.2005.04.021. PMID 15979235.
^ Tohti I, Tursun M, Umar A, Turdi S, Imin H, Moore N (2006). “Aqueous extracts of Ocimum basilicum L. (sweet basil) decrease platelet aggregation induced by ADP and thrombin in vitro and rats arterio–venous shunt thrombosis in vivo”. Thromb. Res. 118 (6): 7339. doi:10.1016/j.thromres.2005.12.011. PMID 16469363.
^ Duke, James A.. “Basil as the Holy Hindu Highness”. doi:10.1089/act.2008.14101. http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/act.2008.14101. Retrieved 10 May 2008.
^ EMEA (2004-03-03). “Position Paper on the use of HMP containing estragole” (PDF). pp. 5. http://www.emea.europa.eu/pdfs/human/hmpwp/033803en.pdf. Retrieved 2006-11-17. “In particular, rodent studies show that these events are minimal probably in the dose range of 1-10 mg/kg body weight, which is approximately 100-1000 times the anticipated human exposure to this substance”
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Basil
How to Grow Basil Information about planting, propagating and growing Basil.
Gernot Katzer’s Spice Pages explain the culinary use of basil in European and Asian cooking; further web links.
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Herbs and spices
Herbs
Angelica Basil Basil, holy Basil, Thai Bay leaf Boldo Bolivian Coriander Borage Chervil Chives Cicely Coriander leaf (cilantro) Cress Curry leaf Dill Elsholtzia ciliata Epazote Eryngium foetidum (long coriander) Hemp Hoja santa Houttuynia cordata (gip c) Hyssop Jimbu Lavender Lemon balm Lemon grass Lemon myrtle Lemon verbena Limnophila aromatica (rice paddy herb) Lovage Marjoram Mint Mitsuba Oregano Parsley Perilla (shiso) Rosemary Rue Sage Savory Sorrel Tarragon Thyme Vietnamese coriander (rau rm) Woodruff
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Ajwain (bishop’s weed) Aleppo pepper Alligator pepper Allspice Amchur (mango powder) Anise Aromatic ginger Asafoetida Camphor Caraway Cardamom Charoli Cardamom, black Cassia Cayenne pepper Celery seed Chenpi Chili Cinnamon Clove Coriander seed Cubeb Cumin Cumin, black Dill & dill seed Fennel Fenugreek Fingerroot (krachai) Galangal, greater Galangal, lesser Garlic Ginger Golpar Grains of Paradise Grains of Selim Horseradish Juniper berry Kaempferia galanga (kencur) Kokum Lime, black Liquorice Litsea cubeba Mace Mahlab Malabathrum (tejpat) Mustard, black Mustard, brown Mustard, white Nigella (kalonji) Nutmeg Paprika Peppercorn (black, green & white) Pepper, long Radhuni Rose Pepper, Brazilian Pepper, Peruvian Pomegranate seed (anardana) Poppy seed Salt Saffron Sarsaparilla Sassafras Sesame Sichuan pepper (hujio, sansho) Star anise Sumac Tasmanian pepper Tamarind Tonka bean Turmeric Vanilla Wasabi Zedoary Zereshk Zest
Herb and spice mixtures
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