Exploring Basil: A Simple Plant With a Complicated Story

It’s more than a mere jar of pesto.

Photo by Yakov Leonov on Unsplash

How Would You Describe Basil?

Some say that basil tastes of licorice and cloves — both sweet and spicy. My interpretation is far less descriptive or poetic. For me, basil tastes amazingly, wonderfully, brilliantly . . . like basil. There is simply no other herb that possesses such heavenly flavor and scent.

Left image by Hans from Pixabay | Image in center by Sharon Ang from Pixabay | Right image by T Caesar from Pixabay

Imagine These Amazing Foods

Please indulge me for just a moment and imagine:

• A sun-warmed fresh tomato cut into thick slices, layered with freshly made mozzarella cheese, and then adorned with the top-most leaves of a basil plant, snipped just moments ago.
• Al dente pasta tossed with a fruity virgin olive oil, a grinding of fresh black pepper, and then topped with crisp bacon, shavings of Pecorino-Romano cheese, and a chiffonade of basil leaves.
• Thick slices of crusty ciabatta bread, brushed with olive oil and grilled until gently golden, the edges are slightly charred. A spoonful (or more) of garlicky pesto is placed on top. It…