Culinary Use
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 94 kJ (22 kcal) |
| Carbohydrates | 2.65 g |
| - Dietary fiber | 1.6 g |
| Fat | 0.64 g |
| Protein | 3.15 g |
| Water | 92.06 g |
| Vitamin A equiv. | 264 μg (33%) |
| - beta-carotene | 3142 μg (29%) |
| Thiamine (vit. B1) | 0.034 mg (3%) |
| Riboflavin (vit. B2) | 0.076 mg (6%) |
| Niacin (vit. B3) | 0.902 mg (6%) |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 0.209 mg (4%) |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.155 mg (12%) |
| Folate (vit. B9) | 68 μg (17%) |
| Choline | 11.4 mg (2%) |
| Vitamin C | 18.0 mg (22%) |
| Vitamin E | 0.80 mg (5%) |
| Vitamin K | 414.8 μg (395%) |
| Calcium | 177 mg (18%) |
| Iron | 3.17 mg (24%) |
| Magnesium | 64 mg (18%) |
| Manganese | 1.148 mg (55%) |
| Phosphorus | 56 mg (8%) |
| Potassium | 295 mg (6%) |
| Sodium | 4 mg (0%) |
| Zinc | 0.81 mg (9%) |
| Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. |
|
Basil is commonly used fresh in cooked recipes. In general, it is added at the last moment, as cooking quickly destroys the flavor. The fresh herb can be kept for a short time in plastic bags in the refrigerator, or for a longer period in the freezer, after being blanched quickly in boiling water. The dried herb also loses most of its flavor, and what little flavor remains tastes very different, with a weak coumarin flavor, like hay.
Basil is one of the main ingredients in pesto—a green Italian oil-and-herb sauce. Its other main ingredients are olive oil, garlic, and pine nuts.
The most commonly used Mediterranean basil cultivars are "Genovese", "Purple Ruffles", "Mammoth", "Cinnamon", "Lemon", "Globe", and "African Blue". The Chinese also use fresh or dried basils in soups and other foods. In Taiwan, people add fresh basil leaves to thick soups (Chinese: 羹湯; pinyin: gēngtāng). They also eat fried chicken with deep-fried basil leaves. Basil (most commonly Thai basil) is commonly steeped in cream or milk to create an interesting flavor in ice cream or chocolates (such as truffles). The leaves are not the only part of basil used in culinary applications, the flower buds have a more subtle flavor and they are edible.
Thai basil is also a condiment in the Vietnamese noodle soup, phở.
Read more about this topic: Basil
Famous quotes containing the word culinary:
“There are many of us who cannot but feel dismal about the future of various cultures. Often it is hard not to agree that we are becoming culinary nitwits, dependent upon fast foods and mass kitchens and megavitamins for our basically rotten nourishment.”
—M.F.K. Fisher (1908–1992)