Tear the leaves by hand and rinse them under running water, but be careful not to squeeze them.
Origin
Basil (Ocium Basilicum) is a plant belonging to the Laminaceae family that has its origins in South Asia, and has a harvesting period that goes from April to October. Many people think that the Latin name basilicum came from the Greek word “basileus”, king, because it was used to make fragrances for kings. It was not immediately recognized as something to eat, but there are many trace of it in Egyptians manuscripts and it was used as a healing herb. During the Middle Ages, it was very used to cure wounds and it was only during the 1600 that real cultivations of this plant started, to use it as a culinary ingredient.
Cookit
Basil is very used in Italian and Asian recipes, and it can be used fresh, exsiccated or frozen. In Asia, it is used to accompany soups and the traditional fried chicken. Pesto is certainly the most famous recipe with basil in the world, and it’s not only perfect on pasta, but also on pizza, bread, pancakes, salad pies and veggie cream. Basil leaves are ideal to add to a caprese and can be combined with extra virgin olive oil and garlic to prepare a tasty sauce to put on white meats and some fishes. But not only on savory dishes, also desserts and mousses, with strawberries and lemons.
Did you know
Besides many superstitions, basil is a plant with many healing properties like: antispasmodic, ant inflammatory, stimulating, diuretic and it calms aerophagia. If you have an irritation, it’s useful to apply basil on it and if you eat it regularly, it helps you balance sugar in your blood.
