What is Basil?

What is Basil?

Basil is a vegetable of the Lamiaceae family and the genus Ocimum. It is also called sweet basil, orchid fragrance, fish parsley, St. Joseph's grass, etc. It grows fast and matures all year round. The main producing areas are Xinjiang, Henan, Zhejiang, Jilin, Hebei, Jiangsu, Anhui and other provinces.

What does Basil look like?

Basil is an annual or biennial herb, 20 to 80 cm tall, with an upright, bluntly quadrangular stem, oval-oblong leaves, terminal racemes, bell-shaped calyx, and lavender flowers.

How to make basil

There are many ways to cook basil as a vegetable. The most common ones include stir-fried basil, fried basil with clams, basil soda crackers, basil oyster soup, basil tomato juice, etc.

Stir-fried clams with basil : Wash the clams, blanch them in boiling water for about a minute, take them out, heat oil in a pan, add shredded ginger and garlic slices and stir-fry until fragrant, add the clams and stir-fry over high heat, add salt and light soy sauce to season, and sprinkle with basil before serving.

The efficacy and function of basil

In addition to being a vegetable, basil is also a spicy and warm medicinal material with high nutritional value. It is rich in protein, cellulose, carotene and other substances. It has the effects of dispelling wind and relieving exterior symptoms, eliminating dampness and harmonizing the middle, and promoting qi and blood circulation.