Using Basil
By srjac0902
@srjac0902 (1169)
Italy
December 13, 2011 3:40am CST
When I came here to this country the fist thing I liked was the Basil leaves. They are so fragrant. It is so difficult for me to eat without spices. The using Basil in the tomator sauce was adding some taste. Looking at them I would remember the lettuce leaves of India. The sweet odor of Basil is so much pleasant. Then gradually I came to know may types of Basil plants. some of them are:
Lemon Basil. This plant odors like lemon and it grows two feet long.Camphor Basil is an annual Basil they say. It is a shrub that grows five feet tall. They have been used to protect woolens. Camphor Basil is packed in sackets. The tree Basil has lime green leaves. The tea made from this plant is good for healing cold and fever. We can destroy mosquitos by burning these leaves. The holy Basil is an annual plant. It has spicy clovelike leaves. The are scented like cloves. This Basil is sacred to Hindus. They use it for their rituals. The Bush Basil is sweet. It grows in India Africa and Asia. Some prepare the holy water mixing up these leaves. When I look at this Basil I remember our middle aged women in India, eating beetal with green leaf and they add calcium phaste and arach nut too. This is the custom of people working in fields.
3 responses
@WakeUpKitty (8691)
• Netherlands
13 Dec 11
I think now a days you will find all kind of spices every where in the world. So missing them if you start living somewhere else is no longer an issue.
I like the info you gave about the basil, would like to know what exactly that holy water is and what it is used for. BTW it's the first time I hear it destroys mosquitos, if so.. how come nobody knows and so many people are suffering from mosquito (bite/malaria)???
@srjac0902 (1169)
• Italy
13 Dec 11
You see, in the remote villages, we never new any spraying or using coils against mosquitos and no even mesh or mosquito nets. Por parents used to collect thses leaves and dry the. But those were still green , then in the night, they use the iron pans, put the buring coal and the leaves. When the smoke comes out mosquitoes used to disappear. In the villages wood is plenty and rice and even other curry are cooked using dry wood fire. Some used to put incense too to destroy the mosquitos. Hindu use lettuce green leave for religious rituals and also to cast magic spell.
@macdingolinger (10385)
• United States
14 Dec 11
I have only tasted sweet basil, but I use it in almost everything! I use it especially when I am making spaghetti sauce. I like to use it in soups too. I guess I need to extend out and try some of the other varieties!
@kalyani1234 (637)
• India
13 Dec 11
srjac, you have given a nice information here about basil, although I think what you are referring to as Lemon basil may be lemon grass or Cymbopogon. Also apart from burning basil leaves to repel mosquitoes, if you plant a lot of basil shrubs around your house, they will inhibit growth of mosquitoes in your garden. Also, the basil is said to give off a rich amount of oxygen, therefore in India, Hindu women spend some time early in the morning worshiping the Holy Basil planted in a special structure called Tulsi Vrindavan. This allows them to get a healthy dose of rich oxygen to kick start their day in a healthy manner./
