Basil UK /bzl/;[1] US /bezl/[2] (Ocimum basilicum), also called great basil or SaintJoseph's-wort, is a culinary herb of the family Lamiaceae

(mints). It is also called the "king

of herbs" and the "royal herb". The name "basil" comes from Greek
(basilikn phutn), "royal/kingly plant".[3]
Basil is possibly native to India,[4] and has been cultivated there for more than 5,000 years.[5] It
was thoroughly familiar to the Greek authors Theophrastus[6] and Dioscorides. It is a tender
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 (or
Genovese basil), as opposed to Thai basil (O. basilicum var. thyrsiflora), lemon basil (O.
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 basil".
The word basil comes from the Greek (basileus), meaning "king",[7] 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.[8] The herbalist John Gerard noted that those
stung by scorpions would feel no pain if they ate of basil,[9] and Nicholas Culpeper noted of
basil that it was "an herb of Mars and under the Scorpion, and therefore called Basilicon",[10]
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.[11]
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 period in the freezer, after being blanched
quickly in boiling 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 pestoa 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: ; pinyin: gngtng). 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 chocolates (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, ph.