Basil is an herb native to India that is commonly used in Italian and Southeast Asian cuisines. There are many varieties of basil, with the most common being sweet basil. Basil grows best in sunny, warm conditions and is often used fresh right before cooking to preserve its flavor. It has a distinctive aroma due to chemical compounds like eugenol and linalool. Basil is considered a king of herbs in many cultures and has various traditional medicinal and cultural uses around the world.

1. Basil
For other uses, see Basil (disambiguation).
Basil, Thai basil, or sweet basil, is a common name for
the culinary herb Ocimum basilicum (UK /ˈbæzəl/;*
[1]
US /ˈbeɪzəl/*
[2]) of the family Lamiaceae (mints), some-
times known as Saint Joseph's Wort in some English
speaking countries.
Basil is possibly native to India,*
[3] and has been culti-
vated there for more than 5,000 years.*
[4] It was thor-
oughly familiar to the Greek authors Theophrastus*
[5]
and Dioscorides. It is a half-hardy annual plant, best
known as a culinary herb prominently featured in Italian
cuisine, and also plays a major role in Southeast Asian
cuisines of Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam,
Cambodia, Laos, and Taiwan. Depending on the species
and cultivar, the leaves may taste somewhat like anise,
with a strong, pungent, often sweet smell.
There are many varieties of Ocimum basilicum, as well
as several related species or species hybrids also called
basil. The type used in Italian food is typically called
sweet basil, as opposed to Thai basil (O. basilicum var.
thyrsiflora), lemon basil (O. X citriodorum) and holy basil
(Ocimum tenuiflorum), which are used in Asia. While
most common varieties of basil are treated as annuals,
some are perennial in warm, tropical climates, including
holy basil and a cultivar known as 'African Blue'.
1 Etymology
The word basil comes from the Greek βασιλεύς
(basileus), meaning “king”,*
[6] as it has come to be
associated with the Feast of the Cross commemorating
the finding of the True Cross by St. Helena, mother of
the emperor Constantine I.*
[7] The herbalist John Gerard
noted that those stung by scorpions would feel no pain if
they ate of basil,*
[8] and Nicholas Culpeper noted of basil
that it was“an herb of Mars and under the Scorpion, and
therefore called Basilicon”,*
[9] relating it to basilisk. 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.*
[10]
2 Nomenclature and taxonomy
Most commercially available basils are cultivars of sweet
basil. There are over 160 named cultivars available, with
new ones appearing every year. There are also a number
of species sold. Here are some basils commonly sold in
the US.*
[4]
For a more complete list, see List of basil cultivars
• African blue basil (Ocimum basilicum X O. kili-
mandscharicum)
• Anise basil or Persian basil (Licorice basil || O.
basilicum 'Licorice'||)
• Camphor basil, African basil (O. kilimandschar-
icum)
• Cinnamon basil (Ocimum basilicum 'Cinnamon')
• Dark opal basil (Ocimum basilicum 'Dark Opal')
• Globe basil, dwarf basil, French basil (Ocimum
basilicum 'Minimum'*
[11])
• Hoary basil (Ocimum americanum formerly known
as O. canum)
• Holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum, formerly known as
O. sanctum)
• Spice basil (a cultivar of Ocimum americanum,
which is sometimes sold as holy basil)
• Lemon basil (Ocimum americanum)
• Lettuce leaf basil (Ocimum basilicum 'Crispum')
• Purple basil (Ocimum basilicum 'Purpurescens')
• Queen of Siam basil (Ocimum basilicum citriodo-
rum)
• Rubin basil (Ocimum basilicum 'Rubin')
2.1 Similar species
• Ocimum gratissimum*
[12]*
[13]
1

2. 2 6 CHEMICAL COMPONENTS
Dried basil leaves
3 Culinary use
Basil is most commonly used fresh in cooked recipes. In
general, it is added at the last moment, as cooking quickly
destroys the flavor. The fresh herb can be kept for a short
time in plastic bags in the refrigerator, or for a longer pe-
riod in the freezer, after being blanched quickly in boil-
ing water. The dried herb also loses most of its flavor,
and what little flavor remains tastes very different, with a
weak coumarin flavor, like hay.
Basil is one of the main ingredients in pesto—a green
Italian oil-and-herb sauce.
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 (Chinese: 羹湯; pinyin: gēngtāng). 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 choco-
lates (such as truffles). The leaves are not the only part of
basil used in culinary applications, the flower buds have a
more subtle flavor and they are edible.
Thai basil is also a condiment in the Vietnamese noodle
soup, phở.
3.1 Seeds
When soaked in water, the seeds of several basil vari-
eties become gelatinous, and are used in Asian drinks and
desserts such as faluda, sherbet or hột é.
4 Folk use
Basil is used for its medicinal properties in Ayurveda,
the traditional medicinal system of India and Siddha
medicine, a traditional Tamil system of medicine.
5 Other cultivars
Further information: 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 flavor that is, in general,
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
(Chinese: 九層塔; pinyin: jiǔ céng tǎ; literally: “nine-
level pagoda"), while the imported varieties are called
(Chinese: 羅勒; pinyin: luó lè) or (Chinese: 巴西里;
pinyin: bā xī lǐ), although [巴西里] often refers to a dif-
ferent plant—parsley.
Lemon basil has a strong lemony smell and flavor 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 accom-
paniment to fried fish or duck. Its flowers, when broken
up, are a zesty salad condiment.
6 Chemical components
The various basils have such different scents because
the herb has a number of different essential oils that
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.*
[14] The
citrus scent of lemon basil and lime basil reflects their
higher portion of citral, which causes this effect in sev-
eral plants including lemon mint, and of limonene, which
gives actual lemon peel its scent. African blue basil has
a strong camphor smell because it contains 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 that help to produce the distinctive
scents of many basils, depending on their proportion in
each specific breed, include:
• citronellol (scented geraniums, roses, and
citronella)*
[15]
• linalool*
[16] (a flowery scent also in coriander)
• myrcene (bay leaf, myrcia)*
[17]
• pinene (which is, as the name implies, the chemical
that gives pine oil its scent)
• ocimene*
[17]
• terpineol
• linalyl acetate

3. 3
• fenchyl acetate
• trans-ocimene
• 1,8-cineole
• camphor octanane
• methyl eugenol
• methyl chavicol*
[15]
• eugenol*
[15]
• beta-caryophyllene
Based on chemical content, basils can be divided into four
groups:
1. French; Ocimum basilicum, contains lower amounts
of phenols
2. exotic; contains methyl chavicol (40–80%)
3. methyl cinnamate – ether 90%
4. eugenol
6.1 Aroma profiles
• 1,8-cineole*
[18]*
[19]
• Bergamotene*
[20]
• Eugenol*
[18]*
[20]
• Linalool*
[18]*
[20]
• Methyl chavicol*
[19]*
[20]
• Methyl cinnamate*
[20]*
[21]
• Methyl eugenol*
[18]*
[22]
• Phenylpropanoids*
[18]
• trans-β-Ocimene*
[18]
7 Cultivation
Most culinary and ornamental basils are cultivars of the
species Ocimum basilicum, but other species are also
grown and there are many hybrids between species. Tra-
ditionally a green plant, some varieties, such as 'Purple
Delight' have leaves that appear purple.*
[23]
Basil grows between 30–130 cm (12–51 in) tall, with op-
posite, light green, silky leaves 3–11 cm (1.2–4.3 in) long
and 1–6 cm (0.39–2.36 in) 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 lie over the
inferior lip. After entomophilous pollination, the corolla
Timelapse of growing basil
Basil growing in the sun
Basil sprout at an early stage
falls off and four round achenes develop inside the bilabi-
ate calyx.
Basil is very sensitive to cold, with best growth in hot, dry

4. 4 9 CULTURAL ASPECTS
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 lit-
tle chance of a frost).*
[24] Additionally, it may be sown
in soil once chance of frost is past. It fares best in a well-
drained sunny spot.
Although basil grows best outdoors, it can be grown in-
doors 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.
It can, however, be grown even in a basement, under flu-
orescent lights.
If its leaves have wilted from lack of water, it will recover
if watered thoroughly and placed in a sunny location. Yel-
low leaves towards the bottom of the plant are an indica-
tion that the plant has been stressed; usually this means
that it needs less water, or less or more fertilizer.
In sunnier climates such as Southern Europe, the south-
ern 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 north-
ern 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
with the stems of short cuttings suspended for two weeks
or so in water until roots develop.
Once a stem produces flowers, foliage production stops
on that stem, 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
stems 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 re-
sponds by converting pairs of leaflets next to the topmost
leaves into new stems.
7.1 Companion planting
In double-blind taste tests, basil has been found not to sig-
nificantly affect the taste of tomatoes when planted adja-
cent to them.*
[25]
7.2 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; it 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.
More recently, downy mildew of basil caused by Per-
onospora belbahrii has been a huge problem for both
commercial producers and home growers. The disease
was first reported in Italy in 2004,*
[26] and was also re-
ported in the U.S. in 2007 and 2008*
[27]*
[28] and has
been steadily increasing in prevalence, distribution, and
economic importance since then.
8 Potential health effects
Recently, there has been much research into the health
benefits conferred by the essential oils found in basil.
Scientific studies in vitro have established that com-
pounds in basil oil have potent antioxidant, antiviral, and
antimicrobial properties, and potential for use in treating
cancer.*
[29]*
[30]*
[31]*
[32] In addition, basil has been
shown to decrease the occurrence of platelet aggregation
and experimental thrombus in mice.*
[33] It is tradition-
ally used for supplementary treatment of stress, asthma
and diabetes mellitus in India.*
[34]
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 cur-
rently unstudied, extrapolation using body weight from
the rodent experiments indicates that 100–1000 times
the normal anticipated exposure still probably produces
a minimal cancer risk.*
[35]
9 Cultural aspects
There are many rituals and beliefs associated with basil.
The French sometimes call basil "l'herbe royale" (“royal
herb”),*
[36] while in Welsh it has the synonymous name
"brenhinllys".*
[37]*
[38] Jewish folklore suggests it adds
strength while fasting.*
[39] In Portugal, dwarf bush basil
is traditionally presented in a pot, together with a poem
and a pom-pom, to a sweetheart, on the religious holidays
of Saint John and Saint Anthony. However, basil repre-
sented hatred in ancient Greece, and European lore some-
times claims that basil is a symbol of Satan.*
[40] 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

5. 5
A female carpenter bee foraging on basil
that smelling basil too much would breed scorpions in the
brain.
Holy basil, also called tulsi, is highly revered in Hinduism.
It is believed that the herb was found growing on the
original cross of Christ when it was discovered by the
Empress Helena, and hence basil has religious signifi-
cance in the Greek Orthodox Church, where it is used
to sprinkle holy water.*
[41] The Bulgarian Orthodox
Church, Serbian Orthodox Church, Macedonian Ortho-
dox Church and Romanian Orthodox Church use basil
(Bulgarian and Macedonian: босилек; Romanian: busui-
oc, Serbian: осиљак) to prepare holy water and pots of
basil are often placed below church altars.*
[42]
In Europe, basil is placed in the hands of the dead to
ensure a safe journey.*
[43] In India, they place it in the
mouth of the dying to ensure they reach God.*
[44] The
ancient Egyptians and ancient Greeks believed it would
open the gates of heaven for a person passing on.*
[45]
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.
In certain central regions of Mexico, basil is used to draw
fortune by hanging a bunch of the plant in the door or win-
dow of the shop. The plant's growth reflects the wealth
of the business, showing how dutifully the owner cares
for his shop and the herb.
10 Toxicity studies
A study of the essential oil showed antifungal and insect-
repelling properties.*
[46] A similar study reported in
2009 has confirmed that extracts from the plant are very
toxic to mosquitos.*
[47] However, the plant is not toxic
to rats.*
[12] Little information is available about any po-
tential toxicity in humans.
11 List of the cultivars and their
nomenclature
• African blue
• Dark opal
• Genovese*
[47]*
[48]
• Genovese Gigante*
[22]
12 Gallery
• Flowering basil stalk and leaves
• Fresh basil leaves
• Basil seeds
• Basil plant
• Flowering basil stalk
• Basil leaves
• Ocimum basilicum
• sweet basil
13 See also
• Insect repellent
14 References
[1] “British: Basil”. Collins Dictionary. n.d. Retrieved 25
September 2014.
[2] “American: Basil”. Collins Dictionary. n.d. Retrieved
25 September 2014.
[3] Gernot Katzer. “Spice Pages: Basil (Ocimum
basilicum/sanctum/tenuiflorum/canum)". gernot-katzers-
spice-pages.com.
[4] Father Kino's Herbs: Growing & Using them Today, 2011
Jacqueline A. Soule, Ph. D., Tierra del Sol Institute Press,
Tucson, AZ.

6. 6 14 REFERENCES
[5] Theophrastus mentions its woody root, i.vi.6.
[6] In Ancient Greek, basil is ῴκίμον, okymon.
[7] There is no mention of basil in early sources, Eusebius of
Caesarea, Socrates Scholasticus and Sozomen.
[8] Gerard, Herball.
[9] Nicholas Culpeper.“Culpeper's Complete Herbal – Gar-
den Bazil, or Sweet Bazil”.
[10] See, for example “Basil, king of the herb garden”.
[11] “Ocimum minimum information from NPGS/GRIN”.
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[27] Roberts, P.D., Raid, R.N., Harmon, P.F., Jordan, S.A.,
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[28] Wick, R.L., Brazee, N.J., 2009. First Report of Downy
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[34] Duke, James A. “Basil as the Holy Hindu Highness”.
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[35] EMEA (3 March 2004). “Position Paper on the use of
HMP containing estragole” (PDF). p. 5. Retrieved 17
November 2006. 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
[36] Anstice Carroll; Embree De Persiis Vona; Gianna De Per-
siis Vona (2006). The Dictionary of Wholesome Foods:
A Passionate A-to-Z Guide to the Earth's Healthy Offer-
ings, with More Than 140 Delicious, Nutritious Recipes.
Da Capo Press. pp. 16–. ISBN 978-1-56924-395-4. Re-
trieved 2 August 2013. The name “basil”comes from
the Greek word for “king”—so greatly did the Greeks
esteem this king of herbs. Herbe royale, the French re-
spectfully call it. In Italy basil serves the goddess Love; a
sprig of it worn by a suitor bespeaks his loving ...
[37] Marcus Zuerius Boxhorn (1654). Originum gallicorum
Liber. Retrieved 2 August 2013. Brenhinllys dqf, basil,
Ocimum
[38] John Walters (1828). An English and Welsh Dictio-
nary: Wherein Not Only the Words, But Also the Idioms
and Phraseology of the English Language are Carefully
Translated Into Welsh, by Proper and Equivalent Words
and Phrases; with a Regular Interspersion of the English
Proverbs and Proverbial Expressions Rendered by Corre-
sponding Ones in the Welsh Tongue. 3d Ed., Corrected and
Improved. Clwydian-Press. pp. 92–. Retrieved 2 August
2013. [herb] Brenhinllys dot', basil. Wild, or small basil
[39] Tova Navarra (1 January 2004). The Encyclopedia of Vi-
tamins, Minerals, and Supplements. Infobase Publishing.
pp. 25–. ISBN 978-1-4381-2103-1. Retrieved 2 August
2013. There is varied folklore pertaining to basil. To the
French, basil is the herbe royale (royal herb); Jewish lore
holds that basil offers strength during fasting. To the Ital-
ians, basil symbolizes love, and to the Greeks, hate, al-
though the Greek word ...
[40] Nancy Arrowsmith (2009). Essential Herbal Wisdom: A
Complete Exploration of 50 Remarkable Herbs. Llewellyn
Worldwide. pp. 105–. ISBN 978-0-7387-1488-2. Re-
trieved 2 August 2013. During one of their talks, Satan
told God to pick a bunch of basil flowers, lay them under
his pillow, and sleep on them overnight. In the morning,
God should take them to a virgin, have her smell them,
and she would conceive. This one time ...
[41] “Blessing of the Waters known as Agiasmos conducted
by a Greek Orthodox priest”. Retrieved 2012-09-10.
[42] Mercia MacDermott (1998). Bulgarian Folk Customs.
Jessica Kingsley Publishers. pp. 114–. ISBN 978-1-
85302-485-6. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
[43] Amy Felder, CEPC (7 March 2007). Savory Sweets: From
Ingredients to Plated Desserts. John Wiley & Sons. pp.
92–. ISBN 978-0-470-07968-3. Retrieved 2 August
2013.
[44] Lucy Bregman (2010). Religion, Death, and Dying. ABC-
CLIO. pp. 136–. ISBN 978-0-313-35180-8. Retrieved 2
August 2013. A basil-like tulsi leaf, which is considered
to be a holy plant, may be placed in the mouth as well.
[45] Robin Nelson-Shellenbarger (25 February 2013). Family
Herbal Wellness. Booktango. pp. 38–. ISBN 978-1-
4689-2481-7. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
[46] Dube, S.; et al. (1989). “Antifungal, physicochemical,
and insect-repelling activity of the essential oil of Ocimum
basilicum”. Retrieved 30 May 2009.
[47] Maurya, Prejwltta; Sharma, Preeti; Mohan, Lalit;
Batabyal, Lata; Srivastava, C.N.; et al. (2009). “Eval-
uation of the toxicity of different phytoextracts of Oci-
mum basilicum against Anopheles stephensi and Culex
quinquefasciatus”. Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology
12 (2): 113–115. doi:10.1016/j.aspen.2009.02.004.
[48] Copetta, A.; et al. “Three arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi
differently affect growth, distribution of glandular tri-
chomes and essential oil composition in Ocimum basilicum
var. genovese". Archived from the original on 1 June
2009. Retrieved 3 July 2009.
15 External links
• Diseases of Basil and Their Management
• Basil: Knowing and Growing from the New York
Botanical Garden

8. 8 16 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES
16 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses
16.1 Text
• Basil Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basil?oldid=688710770 Contributors: Andre Engels, Rmhermen, Ewen, D, Greenman, Dgrant,
Ronz, Jpatokal, Angela, Cherkash, Dysprosia, Tpbradbury, Kaare, Fvw, Wetman, Hh~enwiki, Flockmeal, Pollinator, Robbot, WormRun-
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Varlaam, Gzornenplatz, Wmahan, Andycjp, Toytoy, Quadell, Antandrus, Beland, Estel~enwiki, OverlordQ, JoJan, Burschik, Kareeser,
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Anonymous: 498
16.2 Images
• File:Basil-PWittal.JPG Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/Basil-PWittal.JPG License: CC BY 3.0 Con-
tributors: Transferred from en.wikipedia; transferred to Commons by User:Ansumang using CommonsHelper.
Original artist: Paul Wittal - Crazyjoeda at en.wikipedia
• File:Basil_sprout.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3b/Basil_sprout.jpg License: Cc-by-sa-3.0 Contributors:
Own work
Original artist:
Michalis_Famelis (talk) (Uploads)
• File:Basilic-spice.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/Basilic-spice.jpg License: CC BY-SA 1.0 Contrib-
utors: ? Original artist: ?
• File:Commons-logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg License: ? Contributors: ? Original
artist: ?
• File:Timelapse-Basil-growing.oga Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Timelapse-Basil-growing.ogv Li-
cense: CC BY 3.0 at Contributors: http://www.openfootage.net/?p=386 Original artist: http://www.openfootage.net/
• File:Xylocopa_pubescens_female_with_mite_1.JPG Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Xylocopa_
pubescens_female_with_mite_1.JPG License: CC BY 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Gideon Pisanty (Gidip)
• File:Zhongwen.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Zhongwen.svg License: Public domain Contributors:
? Original artist: ?

9. 16.3 Content license 9
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