The sweet fragrance of the basil leaf
The sweet fragrance of basil is associated with Mediterranean food despite its roots in Asia. The heat-loving herb – requiring at least five hours of sunlight a day – is ideally suited to growing in our hot climate and can be found in many private gardens as it is relatively easy to grow and used abundantly in Mediterranean cooking.
Rachel Zammit Cutajar
A close relative of the peppermint, basil was originally grown in India, though has spread throughout the world, becoming a popular ingredient in Mediterranean, Thai, Vietnamese and Cambodian cuisine, cultivated for more than 5,000 years. There are more than 60 varieties of basil, from sweet basil popular in Mediterranean cuisine, Thai basil, lemon basil with a hint of lemon flavour and holy basil used in Asian cuisine.
Basil is normally used fresh or added to a dish at the last moment as, due to the volatility of essential oils, cooking for more than a few minutes destroys the essence and flavour. Though a dried variety is common on the supermarket shelves, it loses much of its flavour and tastes very different from the fresh herb.
Basil is used in salads, in pasta dishes and served in soups in Mediterranean and Asian cuisine. It can also be steeped in cream or milk to create an interesting flavour for ice creams or chocolates, such as truffles.
Try infusing it in vodka for 1-2 days and then preparing a watermelon basil martini by shaking the basil-infused vodka with the watermelon juice, lime juice and sugar syrup.
Cream a stick of butter with two cloves of garlic, one tablespoon of lemon juice and one tablespoon of finely chopped basil, seasoned with salt and pepper to make an original spread for pre-dinner bread. It can also be frozen and used with meat or fish when fresh basil is scarce.
The flowers are also used for culinary purposes though they are much more subtle in flavour. The seeds of several varieties become gelatinous when soaked in water and are used in Asian drinks such as falooda – a cold, sweet beverage made with rose syrup, vermicelli, basil seeds, jelly pieces, tapioca pearls mixed with either milk, water or ice-cream – or sherbet – made with flower petals.
The herb also enjoys a rich history in folklore, signifying different things in different cultures. In 19th century Malta, when a family was ready to marry off one of their daughters, they would place a pot of sweet basil in a stone bracket on the outer wall of the house.
Planting your own basil
Basil grows easily in warm sunny weather as tender annuals. Unlike many other Mediterranean herbs, basil prefers richer soils and requires plenty of water.
It is best planted in early spring and will continue to produce leaves throughout the summer. The plant stops growing after the flowers mature and it goes to seed, therefore it is best to prevent this for as long as possible picking off the top leaves.
Yellowing leaves at the base of the plant means the plant is under stress and usually needs less water or more or less fertiliser.
Although basil grows best outdoors it can also be grown in pots indoors, though is best placed in an area that receives plenty of sunlight.
