Basil, a royal herb

Cinzia Cuneo 24 luglio, 2010 erbe aromatiche, ricette

Basil gets its name from the Latin word “Basilicum” and from the Greek term “Basilikos”, both of which mean “royal”. It’s certainly a fitting term, since this culinary herb demands royal treatment for its proper cultivation.

Whimsical by nature, this plant needs just the right amount of water: not too much, not too little. Basil requires a minimum of 5 hours of sunshine daily and it won’t survive if the temperature dips below 10°C. The leaves have to be hand-picked, as they are very sensitive. Basil can be dried with difficulty and it does not react too well to cold or frost. On top of that, it cannot be preserved for more than a couple of days in the refrigerator.

On the other hand, basil has a unique and appetizing aroma. Its pleasant taste tickles our taste buds. These are both sufficient reasons in themselves for us to want to include this herb in our cooking.

Try our recipe for Basil-flavoured Chicken and Pepper Stir-Fry

Basil-flavoured Chicken and Pepper Stir-Fry

Originally published in the Journal de Montréal on July 24, 2010.

Autori

Cinzia Cuneo

Italiana di nascita e canadese d'adozione, Cinzia ha deciso di coniugare le sue competenze professionali e la sua passione per la buona tavola sviluppando un servizio per aiutare i numerosi «aventi bisogno» a riprendere il controllo della loro alimentazione. Così è nata SOSCuisine. Ingegnere di formazione al Politecnico di Torino, Cinzia ha conseguito un Master's Degree in scienze applicate all'École Polytechnique de Montréal.