Indian and South-East Asian names for the so-called sacred basil are marked with an asterisk in the list above. This cultivar (Ocimum sanctum = O. tenuiflorum) is characterized by an intensive sweet-camphoraceous fragrance; in India, it is not much used as a culinary herb (although there are scattered reports of such usage), but has a strong religious meaning, being sacred to Vishnu [विष्णु] and symbolizing either his wife Lakshmi [लक्ष्मी] or the wives of his various avatars.

Leaves; frequently, the entire herb (all aerial parts) is harvested. Best harvesting season is before flowering. Basil leaves should always be used fresh, as they lose most of their flavour within a few weeks after drying. However, in the Georgian spice mixture khmeli-suneli, dried basil is employed (see marjoram).

The seeds of basil have some use as thickening agent in Thailand, but do not share the leaves' fragrance

بر روی ادامه مطلب کلیک کنید تا متن به طور کامل نمایش داده شود