Basil

Generality

Basil (from the Latin Basilicum or from the Greek Basilikon = royal plant or king plant), or rather Ocimum basilicum, is an aromatic plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family, whose typical essential oils are estragole and eugenol.

It is an annual herbaceous type to be sown in early spring, using greenhouses, or to be flared in late spring; the harvest takes place throughout the summer; the basil is not particularly complicated to grow (even in pots) as long as you have: a soft and draining soil with a neutral pH, a climate with temperatures not lower than 10-15 ° C (better 20-25 ° C) and a watering plentiful. The basil reaches 60cm in height, has a square-sectioned stem which, as it grows, tends to become woody and on which more or less oval-shaped leaves grow, a couple of centimeters long and arranged in a mirror-like manner towards each other; the basil produces white flowers arranged in inflorescences which subsequently give rise to small black seeds. The basil plant needs a continuous and constant topping aimed at prolonging its life cycle, otherwise interrupted by the maturation of the seeds.

Basil is native to southern Asia (India and Iran) but currently its use in the kitchen is also widespread in many other eastern countries such as: Taiwan, Tahilandia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Overall, the term "basil" encompasses many different botanical varieties, both in appearance and organoleptic-gustatory characteristics, grouped into types: Genoese basil, Mexican basil and Thai basil ; the leaves of the Genoese basil (typically consumed in Italy and in the south of France since 350 BC) are broad and green, and are characterized by a particularly intense aroma / taste.

Conservation of the basil

Basil is an aromatic plant to be consumed fresh and which, to maintain its characteristics, must not be cooked or preserved for dehydration or in the refrigerator (max 2 days); on the other hand, after freezing, the basil can be fully maintained even for long periods.

Pairings of basil in the kitchen

Basil can be successfully combined with Mediterranean foods such as: tomatoes, soft / fresh mixed cheeses, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, white meats and some fishery products. It is often associated with other aromatic substances such as thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley, mint or spices such as turmeric, coriander, curry, cloves, eucalyptus, chilli, paprika and berries of pepper (all, to a lesser extent, the black ones).

Pesto sauce

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Other Recipes with Basil

Basil in herbal medicine

Since ancient times, basil has been used for the preparation of digestive infusions, antispasmodics (stomach and intestines), diuretics, antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and wormers. Basil oil is used in the fight against rheumatism, while its mouthwash is useful in inflammation of the oral cavity.

Chemical composition

Basil is a herbaceous plant rich in essential oils; among the most present are: eugenol, eucalyptol, linalol, epi-α-cadylol, α-bergamotene, γ-cadinene, germacrene D, camphor; almost all are harmless or even therapeutic, while others have been identified as potential carcinogens: this is the case of methylugenol and estragole, although the food combination should undo its negative effects. It is also curious to learn that basil extract has toxic properties for mosquitoes.

The most common varieties of basil, from which it is used to extract essential oils (in: France, Italy, Germany, Spain and Algeria), are: Album basil, Benth basil, Purpurescen Benth basil, Thyrsiflorum Benth basil, Crispum Camus basil. The profitability of this extraction process is approximately 0.02-0.07%, from which a yellow and transparent liquid is obtained, with a strong and vaguely similar aroma to the tarragon .

Sacred basil

There is also a breed of therapeutic basil called sacred basil ( Ocimum sanctum L. ); this plant, respected and used in Hindu religious rituals (India, see Ayurvedic Medicine), has also been the subject of some pharmacological investigations. The active ingredients of the sacred basil (essential oils, flavonoids and ursolic acid) which constitute the drug, have shown hypoglycemic effects on diabetic rats induced pharmacologically by alloxan and streptozotocin ; the relative mechanism of action is not yet completely clear. It is therefore likely that "the components of the sacred basil drug interact with the pancreatic β cells stimulating their insulin production and / or influencing certain enzymes typical of glucose metabolism". Furthermore, the sacred basil drug has also demonstrated cholesterol-lowering powers.

The reference study [Yeh et al. (2003) Diabetes Care 26: 1277-1294] is a randomized type, carried out on 40 subjects suffering from type 2 diabetes to whom:

• after 4 weeks of treatment with 2.5g of dry sacred basil powder per day a decrease in glucose serum (post prandial and fasting) levels was found in the absence of side effects
• after 8 months of treatment with 2.5g of dry sacred basil powder per day, a reduction in serum total cholesterol levels was found in the absence of side effects.

Bibliography:

• Phytotherapy: rational use of vegetable drugs –F.Capasso, G.Grandolini, AA Izzo – pag. 477-478.
• New dictionary of applied commodity and chemistry. Volume 2 - GVVillavecchia - Hoepli - pag. 586-587.