It is also known as Thai holy basil or by its Indian name, tulasi or tulsi; it is widely used in India for culinary, medicinal, and religious purposes.
What are Thai basil leaves?
Thai basil is a type of basil with an anise or black licorice flavor that’s native to Southeast Asia. It has a purple stem, purple flowers, and thin, dark green leaves. It’s common in Southeast Asian cuisine, including Thai, Cambodian, Lao, and Vietnamese recipes.
What are basil leaves called?
basil, (Ocimum basilicum), also called sweet basil, annual herb of the mint family (Lamiaceae), grown for its aromatic leaves. Basil is likely native to India and is widely grown as a kitchen herb. The leaves are used fresh or dried to flavour meats, fish, salads, and sauces; basil tea is a stimulant.
What is the difference between basil leaves and Thai basil leaves?
Appearance: Thai basil has purple stems, while sweet basil has green stems. The leaves of Thai basil are narrower than sweet basil leaves and have a slightly serrated edge. Sweet basil leaves also tend to be more delicate than sturdy Thai basil leaves.
What is Thai basil in English?
Thai basil, or Asian basil is a type of sweet basil. It is found in Southeast Asia. Thai basil has small, narrow leaves and purple stems. The flower is a mauve (pink-purple) color.
What is another name for Thai basil?
Thai basil may sometimes be called chi neang vorng, anise basil or licorice basil, in reference to its anise- and licorice-like scent and taste, but it is different from the Western strains bearing these same names.
What can I use instead of Thai basil leaves?
No Thai Basil? No problem! Some recipes call for Thai basil, a pungent variety that can be hard to find in grocery stores. To duplicate its flavor, use common “Italian” basil and add a few fresh mint sprigs to the recipe.
Is Thai basil the same as purple basil?
At a glance, the most distinguishable difference is the color of the stems: Thai basil has a purple stem and sweet basil has a green stem.
Is Thai basil and cinnamon basil the same?
The term “cinnamon basil” can refer to a number of different varieties of basil, including as a synonym for Thai basil (O. basilicum var. thyrsiflora), as a particular cultivar of Thai basil, and as a separate cultivar in its own right (i.e., O. basilicum ‘Cinnamon’).
Are basil leaves the same as dried basil?
While you can get both fresh and dry basil, their flavor changes a great deal. It is always better to use fresh basil wherever possible. As some volatile oils of basil are lost during drying, you will not get the same flavor from dry basil as you would from fresh basil.
How do I use Thai basil leaves?
Fresh sprigs of Thai basil can be served with vegetable platters and nibbled on with spicy salads and chili dips. It can also be used in salads, vegetable dishes, or as a popular garnish for soup.
Can I eat Thai basil raw?
Thai basil is wonderful eaten raw, slivered, and added to salads, both your plain old cucumber-tomato salad or something meaty like northern Thai larb. But its hardy leaves stand up especially well to cooking—their flavor infuses readily into food and the leaves don’t wilt quite as much as Italian sweet basil’s would.
Can you substitute sweet basil for Thai basil?
If you can’t find Thai basil, you can substitute sweet basil, but it will lack its distinctive grassy and spicy flavor. If you are to substitute, supplement the sweet basil with mint to make up for this loss of flavor.
What type of basil is used in Thai cooking?
Thai cuisine utilises three main type of basil: Thai basil, holy basil, and lemon basil. A fourth less common basil is tree basil. The latter two are the most difficult to find outside of Thailand and the first in the list the most commonly available.
What’s the difference between Thai basil and holy basil?
So what’s the flavor difference between Thai Basil and Holy Basil? Thai Basil has a distinct licorice or some say aniseed flavor. Holy Basil has a peppery, with a hint of clove taste. Some people say it’s so intense that it almost has a numbing effect to your tongue like a Sichuan pepper.
What’s the difference between Thai basil and Italian basil?
What is Thai basil, and can you use Italian basil in its place? A variety of the sweet Italian basil used widely in American and European cooking, Thai basil brings slightly savory, spicy, anise-like notes to many Southeast Asian and Chinese dishes.
What kind of basil do you use for Thai green curry?
Thai sweet basil
Traditional ingredients in Thai green curry paste include fresh green chilies, shallots, galangal, garlic, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and Thai sweet basil.
Is Thai basil related to mint?
Thai basil (Ocimum basilicum var. thyrsiflora) is a member of the mint family and as such has a particular sweet flavor reminiscent of anise, licorice, and clove.
Is Thai basil the same as Vietnamese mint?
Thai Basil (also called Asian basil): has purple stems and purple buds. Think of Thai basil as a spicier and less sweet version than the Italian cousin. Vietnamese Balm (also known as Vietnamese mint): this saw-edged, slightly fuzzy herb tastes of lemon and mint.
Can you buy dried Thai basil?
Leaves, Dried | Premium Gourmet Ingredient for Thai & Asian Cuisine |Rich Green Color and Extremely Aromatic | from Nature 100% (1 OZ.) FREE delivery on $25 shipped by Amazon. Only 10 left in stock – order soon.
Which basil is best for pesto?
Italian Large Leaf Italian Large Leaf Basil
Italian Large Leaf
Italian Large Leaf Basil is the most commonly used in pesto. This variety offers a strong flavor for a robust fullness. When using fresh basil to prepare pesto, crush the leaves first to release the flavor, then add them to the olive oil.