Definition: basil

Nutritional values per 100 g: Protein 2.5 g; Carbohydrates 4.3 g; Fat 0.6 g; Calories 27 kcal.

So don't be afraid to use it generously in your cooking: unlike fat and salt, it will have no effect on your waistline. Renowned for thousands of years for its therapeutic properties, particularly against warts and depression, it is still used today for these purposes. It is used in infusions or decoctions for its digestive, appetising, laxative, tonic and fever-reducing properties. It also effectively soothes sore throats and nervousness.

Finally, its high camphor content gives it anti-cold properties, as it clears the respiratory tract, and antiseptic properties. As a gargle, it relieves mouth infections and, as a poultice, it relieves itching. Perhaps this is also why a pot of basil placed on the windowsill keeps flies and mosquitoes away. Good to know for enjoying peaceful summer evenings...

Tasting:

Choose fresh basil, as dried basil has already lost much of its flavour. The leaves should be bright green, smooth and unblemished. Store it for only a few days in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator, protected in a perforated plastic bag. It will keep longer if immersed in oil (which it delicately flavours). Once chopped, it can be frozen by covering it with water in an ice cube tray: easy to measure out and thaw.

Use whole leaves or chopped. To enjoy its full aroma, crush it with a pestle in a mortar before adding it to sauces, vinaigrettes, salads, and stir-fried vegetables or mushrooms.

Depending on the variety, its flavour is reminiscent of lemon, aniseed, jasmine or ginger. It goes perfectly with white meat and rabbit. It is also delicious with eggs and cheese. Nothing beats it on pasta, rice and tomatoes.

Bear in mind that it does not fare well with long cooking times or prolonged waiting in vinaigrettes, so always add it to your preparations at the last minute.

Provençal and Italian cuisine have made it their condiment of choice, so it's no surprise that it goes so well with garlic, lemon, thyme and olive oil, other staples of these cuisines. Basil is also essential in pistou soup and pesto (chopped basil and garlic drizzled with olive oil, pine nuts and Parmesan cheese in the Italian version). The Thai also have their own variety, which is more powerful and peppery, and they use it extensively in their cuisine. Finally, a sprig of basil slipped into a bottle of vinegar will subtly flavour it. It is also used to make a liqueur called Chartreuse.

History:

Native to India, basil was already considered a sacred herb 4,000 years ago, offered to the gods Vishnu and Krishna. It then conquered Asia and Egypt. It was also used in the mummification process, as the Egyptians discovered its antibacterial and preservative properties very early on.

It subsequently arrived in Greece and Rome. Harvested by the basileus (sovereign) according to mysterious rites, it was a royal herb and a symbol of fertility. It also began to be used as an ornament, in cooking and, above all, in pharmacopoeia.

Many civilisations associated it with funeral rites: placed in the hands of the deceased, it was supposed to protect them on their journey to the afterlife.

Over the centuries, it spread to southern Europe and then, in the^16th and^17th centuries, to England and the United States.

Basil, a condiment plant with green, red or purple leaves, is now a staple of Mediterranean cuisine, particularly Italian and Provençal. There are more than 150 varieties. Grown in greenhouses, this herb is available all year round, but as it thrives in tropical climates, it grows spontaneously in summer and is at its most aromatic then. When the season comes, don't hesitate to grow it on your balcony, sheltered from the wind and cold, to enjoy its pretty white flowers and intoxicating scent.