Botanical name:
Ocimum Basilicum
Description:
Basil is a green plant with a strong pleasant taste and smell. Basil is usually associated with Italian food, but is very common in Asian cuisine. There are many types of Basil, three of these are sweet, Greek and Purple.
What Are Its Uses?
Basil is often used in salads, but is also popular with meat. Basil pairs well with tomato, lemon and garlic. The oil from basil goes well with pork. Basil is important in Thai cuisine, often used in stir fries. In Italian cuisine, basil is often used on pizza.
Planting and Growing:
The taste of basil is affected by its growing conditions. The best time to plant basil in Australia is spring because the soil is warm. The minimum temperature to grow basil is 13 degrees Celsius, perfect for Asia and the Mediterranean.
Recipes:
Bacon wrapped parsley pork fillet, basil and garlic mash potato
Mexican chilli butterflied BBQ chicken
http://www.gourmetgarden.com/recipe/322/mexican-chilli-butterflied-bbq-chicken
References:
http://www.gourmetgarden.com/herb/188/basil?gclid=CO25nuGe0L4CFVgSvQodFXsAkQ
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/basil