| Basil
is most commonly associated with Italian and Thai Cuisine.
It's not commonly known that basil originated in India.
It was brought to the Mediterranean via the spice routes in
ancient times. Basil spread to other parts of Asia,
and became popular in the use of curries in Thailand.
The
Hindi name for basil is Tulsi meaning Sacred Basil.
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| In
ancient Rome, the name Basilescus, referred to Basilisk -
the fire breathing dragon thought to be the charm against
the beast. Perhaps the ancient Romans were onto something
as today basil is used as an antidote to venom. |
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| The
Greek word for basil means royal or kingly. It was believed
that only the king himself should harvest this herb, and only
with the use of a golden sickle.
In
Romania, basil took a more romantic turn. When a man accepts
a sprig of basil from a woman,, he is officially engaged.
And
the Italians, well they became world renowned culinary experts
using basil to give unique and erotic flavors to food.
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| As
you can see from the History section, basil came from warm
and mostly sub tropical to tropical regions.
Basil
is an annual for colder climates and likes at least 5 hours
of hot sunlight and plenty of water. At the Cheese
Factory Restaurant, we like to feed our herbs and
vegetables with organic composts and Miracle Grow.
This produces great flavor to the plant as well as increasing
its yield. A well fed basil plant is more resistant
to pests and bugs.
Be
sure to pinch back the top and cut off any flower spikes.
This will encourage more growth and keep the plant producing
up until the first frost.
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| You
can grow basil inside as long as it gets enough warmth and
light. However, it can be a bit of a Royal Princess
in colder climates where central heating is used. You
need to water your plants regularly and even spray them with
water to keep them growing throughout the winter.
We
normally pull our basil plants out at first frost and take
care of them in the green houses, since we use the herb
a lot in our restaurant menu.
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| This
is where the fun begins. Basil has such a
wide variety of uses in cooking. With over 12 varieties
of basil you can have fun with a variety of fruits,
vegetables, grains and pastas. |
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| Sandwiches:Sweet
Basil makes a great addition to any sandwich.
Our customers love our Euro Delight which
combines basil with brie cheese and our special
vinaigrette and garden vegetables.
Great
with cheese, for lacto vegetarians try it in a
salad sandwich with tomatoes.
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| Try
Sweet Basil or Lemon Basil to liven up your Salads
and Pasta. Add the leaves whole if
you can handle the strong flavor. Or gently
rip them into smaller pieces. If you take
to basil with a knife be careful as bruising the
leaves takes the flavor away. |
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| Thai
Basil is great in Thai Curries and Stir
Fries. You can also use Sweet Basil.
Both varieties give you a licorice zesty tang to
your vegetables. We use basil in our famous
Thai Stir Fry which is one of the most popular dishes
at the Cheese Factory. This recipe and many
pestos, dressings and pasta dishes using basil are
available in our cookbook. |
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