Just rub some basil on your snake bite
“If I had space for only one herb in my garden, it would be reserved for basil.”
This was the sentiment which opened the section on basil in Herbal Renaissance by renowned herb consultant and author Steven Foster. He noted there are more than 160 species of basil in temperate zones around the world. There is even a variety called tree basil which might grow six feet tall and a lettuce-leafed variety with leaves six inches long.
Foster also stated it would take six pounds of seeds to plant an acre of basil which might produce as much as two tons of dried leaves. That sounds like way too much for the ordinary household, but you might need that much if you wanted to try every application different cultures have found for basil.
Basil first made a name for itself at least 4000 years ago in India where it was held in such high esteem it was planted around temples. I plant it around tomatoes. A popular variety with a sweet scent is called Holy Basil, or Tulsi Basil, which is revered in the Hindu tradition.
Tulsi is considered “the Incomparable One” to which there is no equal in Ayurvedic medicine. Not only is it recommended for daily consumption as a tonic for body, mind and spirit, but it is recommended for two dozen afflictions and conditions from anxiety to snakebites, asthma to arthritis, hiccups to malaria.
Use of basil spread throughout temperate regions in Asia to the Mediterranean. Researchers found traces of it in Egyptian tombs, and they suspect it was used for embalming. I never would have thought of mummies smelling like pesto. Elsewhere in Africa it was used as an insect repellant and as protection against scorpion stings.
As for the origin of the name, the Greek word basileus, meaning “royal” or “king” led to a Latin word which led to a French word which led to what we say, and my basil is having an autumn resurgence thanks to rain and horse manure.
Since it grew so well in Greece, locals associated basil with poverty because it came up everywhere, even in impoverished places. In contrast, however, Greeks sent loved ones off to the afterlife with twigs of basil in their hands.
Basil found a way to England during Shakespeare’s time, and eventually somebody brought it over here. It is easy to grow from seed. It prefers temperate climates, so folks up north might need to make accommodations for their basil plants or buy pesto at the market. Do not try to plant seed outdoors until the soil has warmed enough, and don’t overwater. Plant the seeds a quarter inch deep or else they might drift to the surface and dry out.
Foster states, “Basil seeds will remain viable for over a decade if refrigerated,” and that is impressive. To date, I have kept my seeds in a basket covered by a hand-woven place mat from Mexico. They usually don’t last ten years, but now I know.
Baker Creek Seeds offers 18 basil varieties including four varieties known for showy purple flowers and one from Ghana called Nunum with large, serrated leaves which taste a bit like oregano. Opal basil is so dark purple it is almost black, but not really. It’s still purple. But dark.
Modern science has begun to validate what Ayurveda has known all along about the medicinal and healing properties in basils. Opal Basil is loaded with anthocyanins, which lower blood pressure, inhibit tumor activity and moderate the antecedents to diabetes. Studies of Nunum basil have shown it contains antibacterial and antifungal properties. Recent research has shown Thai basil, rich in antioxidants, can fight cancer cells, protect against viruses and bacterial infections plus, of course, taste great in pesto.
So basil is more than what makes pesto green. Supposedly, if you rub leaves on a wart…