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Thai basil
Early season Thai basil
SpeciesO. basilicum var. thyrsiflora
Cultivar groupThai basil

Thai basil is a type of sweet basil that has been cultivated to provide a distinctive set of traits preferred in Asian cuisine. It has an identifiable licorice flavor not present in sweet basil, and its flavor is more stable under high or extended cooking temperatures than that of sweet basil. Thai basil exhibits small narrow leaves and purple stems, with a mauve (pink-purple) flower. One cultivar commonly grown in the United States is 'Queen of Siam'.

Nomenclature and taxonomy

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Sweet basil[1], Ocimum basilicum (O. basilicum), has multiple cultivars. Thai basil, or O. basilicum 'Horapha,' grows to 45 cm[2] or 1.5 feet in height, and has purple-flushed lancelike leaves with a sweet licorice scent.

The word Ocimum is derived from the Greek word meaning "to smell"[3], which is appropriate for most members of the plant family Lamiaceae, also known as the mint family[4]. Like other plants in the mint family, Thai basil features a square stem and the leaves always grow in pairs, opposite to each other and at 90 degree angles from the previous pair of leaves[5].

 
Sweet basil is light green with wide leaves while Thai basil has purple stems and flowers and spear-like leaves

There are over 40 cultivars of basil and this abundance of flavors, aromas and colors leads to confusion when identifying specific cultivars. For a detailed comparison, see Purdue University's O. basilicum research[6] and Sunland Herb's anecdotal descriptions of basil, based on four historical resources[7].

Characteristics

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There are three types of basil commonly used in Thai cuisine. Thai basil is the cultivar most often used for Asian cooking in Western kitchens. The English common name is Thai basil but in Thai kitchens, the plant is called "Bai Horapa" or simply horapa (Thai: โหระพา). Thai holy basil, also called "Bai Gka-prow" or kraphao, may be the basil that Thai people love most [8]a variety of Ocimum tenuiflorum (Thai: กะเพรา),[9] The third species of basil found in Thai cooking is the least used[10] and has undertones of lemon in both scent and taste. Thai lemon basil is called "Bai Maeng-lak" or simply maenglak (Thai: แมงลัก).

Basil is used in several different Asian cultures. Thai holy basil is a variety of Tulasi, which is worshiped in India and is also often called "Holy basil". Both Thai holy basil and Tulasi have smaller, softer, slightly hairy leaves and an aroma akin to that of cloves. In Vietnam, the most common basil cultivar with purple stems is called cinnamon basil and its name describes its flavor and scent. The Vietnamese cinnamon basil was known as húng quế (lit. "cinnamon basil").

Culinary uses

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Although Vietnamese and Loations also use the Asian varieties of basil in their cuisines, the purple-stemmed licorice-flavored leaves have come to be identified as Thai basil. It may be mistakenly called anise basil or licorice basil, but it is different than the Western strains bearing these same names[11]. Horapa leaves are a frequent ingredient in Thai green and red curry (แกงเผ็ด), while the basil used in Thai Drunken Noodles[12] and "Thai chicken/pork/seafood with basil leaf" is kraphao (Thai holy basil). Thai basil is also an important ingredient in the very popular Taiwanese dish, Three Cup Chicken. Used as a condiment, a plate of raw Thai basil leaves is often served as an accompaniment to phở (Vietnamese-style noodle soup) so that each customer can achieve their own desired seasoning with the anise-flavored leaves.

See also

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  •  
    Late summer Thai basil flowers
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    Midsummer Thai basil with flowers

References

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  1. ^ Frances Hutchinson, Garden Herbs (The Gardener's Handbook), Fog City Press, 2003, page 237
  2. ^ Frances Hutchinson, Garden Herbs (The Gardener's Handbook), Fog City Press, 2003, page 237
  3. ^ Madalene Hill, Gwen Barclay, Jean Hardy, Southern Herb Growing, Shearer Publishing, 1987, page 68
  4. ^ http://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=profile&symbol=OCBA&display=31
  5. ^ http://theseedsite.co.uk/lamiaceae.html
  6. ^ http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1999/v4-499.html
  7. ^ http://www.sunlandherbs.com/about/basil/
  8. ^ Kasma Loha-Unchit, It Rains Fishes (Legends, Traditions and the Joys of Thai Cooking), Pomegranate Artbooks, 1995, page 93.
  9. ^ [1] Adventures in Thai Cooking and Travel
  10. ^ Kasma Loha-Unchit, It Rains Fishes (Legends, Traditions and the Joys of Thai Cooking), Pomegranate Artbooks, 1995, page 94.
  11. ^ Kasma Loha-Unchit, It Rains Fishes (Legends, Traditions and the Joys of Thai Cooking), Pomegranate Artbooks, 1995, pages 92-93
  12. ^ Kasma Loha-Unchit, It Rains Fishes (Legends, Traditions and the Joys of Thai Cooking), Pomegranate Artbooks, 1995, page 178


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