The Rich History of Basil: Travel Through Time with Basil!
Beloved in pesto and Caprese salads, basil is a king of culinary herbs and widely cultivated around the world.
It is used in countless kitchens worldwide in both fresh and dried forms. And while many in the US associate basil mostly with Italian cuisine, you’ll also find it in plenty of other cultures, including Asian cuisine and many African dishes.
While you’re probably familiar with sweet basil and some of the more common varietals within the basil kingdom, you may not know that your favorite herb has a rich history, filled with adventure, legends, and lore.
Basil Basics
Before diving into the amazing historical background of basil, let’s set the stage. What exactly is basil?
Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is a beautifully aromatic herb and member of the mint family (Lamiaceae).
Some varieties that may be most familiar include Genovese basil, sweet basil, Thai basil, purple ruffles, and lemon basil.
Most commonly known these days for its culinary prowess, basil also plays a critical role in traditional herbal medicine. So you will find it in whole, powdered, and oil form for medicinal purposes.
The word basil most likely derives from the ancient Greek word basileus, which means king.
A royal herb? Seems fitting for this all-star herb!
The History of Basil Goes Way Back
While the history of basil is filled with interesting facts, it’s impossible to pinpoint the exact origin of basil.
Some accounts point to Asia, while others say the basil plant made its way out of India.
We do know that its history traces back over 5,000 years and that, over time, basil started making its way around the world.
Legend has it, basil arrived in the Mediterranean via Alexander the Great after he discovered it during a conquest. While this is possible, it more likely moved through the active and lucrative spice trade.
Basil held a revered standing with both the Ancient Greeks and Romans.
The Greek botanist Theophrastus even mentioned basil in his writings during the 3rd century BC.
Basil also shows up in Roman writings. Pliny touted it as an aphrodisiac, and Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella provided sowing directions.
*SNIP*
Basil Had a Sacred Standing Around the World
As basil made its way around, it retained one specific feature in each culture: Its sacred standing.
The belief that basil is sacred, and has almost magical properties, was so strong that nearly every culture had specific guidelines around harvesting basil.
Extensive rituals, rules governing hand washing, and specific clothing expectations reigned.
The Greeks, Romans, Gauls, Egyptians, and Indians believed strongly in protecting their basil plants.
Basil Lore
What is a perusal of history without a dash of lore added?
Historical accounts and ancient records are replete not just with facts, but also with legends and superstitions. Basil is not immune to this and is the subject of countless stories.
While we can’t cover all of them here, we wanted to look at a few of the common mythologies around our beloved basil.
Continues at link:
https://kitchenherbography.com/history-of-basil/
Good morning Diane.
Bambi ate my zinnias, my beet tops, and even tried several radishes, yet has left the nasturtiums, phlox, lobelia and geraniums alone. So far, anyways. I am now going to spray everything I grow with a *Sunlight* dish soap/hot peppers mix to discourage this behaviour.
This is after he ate some tomato plants, some potato plants, and the vast majority of my sunflowers. I am growing impatient with the miserable so-and-so.
Some of the pennyroyal *MAY* finally be showing, but the germination rate is disappointing.
As to the radishes, I have already picked through two batches, and the third just provided me with several larger bulbs over 2” diameter. Unfortunately, a couple of them had internal visitors, even though the soil has not grown anything but a juniper and a pine tree for the last 20+ years. Oh well.
Off to the garden centre that’s an hour away, I forgot a flat of annuals there yesterday afternoon. Then I get to put all the replacement plants in the ground upon my return.
Have a great weekend.
Had my first cabbage (OS Cross) from the garden with corned beef. Good stuff.
Basil is very easy to grow from seed.
The basil plants I have grown don’t seem to last, but my former neighbor had a basil plant for a long time.
CLICK ON THE PICTURE OF BASIL TO RETURN TO THE JULY 1-7 2023 WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD!
Meanwhile, we're enjoying a cooler summer in So Cal than last year - I've only had to run the a/c twice and it only goes on if the temp is over 90.
Plants are loving the cooler weather as well, I've even got cool weather pansies that are still blooming:
I'm having better luck with liles this year:
This is a Lucifer Lily:
And Hisbiscus:
"Sunset Blvd.":
Have no idea what this double hibiscus is called, I got it off the dead table at Lowe's years ago:
And, my helpers:
Happy Summer to All!
Good morn...as always, thanks for the thread...I am battling wind in the garden. It’s been a learning experience. Oh, and love the Basil history.
Spent a few hours yesterday sitting in and working on the garden. I should have pulled my three almost ripe tomatoes off the vines Fri when I got home because two of them have split from a bunch of rain we got Fri and Fri night.
They’re the Red Deuce I got from the Amish and it’s turned into quite the experiment. They’re determinate. All had flowers when I got them but were short plants and not really big enough to be producing.
This one plant I pulled the nearly ripe tomatoes off of has no more flowers or maters. It’s still short and kind of yellow. I think it’s done.
One plant I pulled the flowers off of right off the bat is now the biggest of the three, nice dark green, has 12 maters and at least a dozen flowers. I’ll probably get 25+ maters from it.
The third plant I pulled three maters off when they were mid sized and green. It grew and got nice color, made more flowers and has half a dozen baby maters and will probably give me 10 maters. It’s not near as big as the one I pulled flowers off of early.
Lesson learned; let those determinate mater plants get big before letting them make maters. I do plan on growing paste tomatoes at some point and those are pretty much all determinate and imho, determinate are preferred for paste maters.
One of my Chadwick Cherry vines is a good 8 foot long and has plenty of clusters. Another is right behind it and a couple of Tappy’s Heritage are also doing really good. Chadwick and Tappy’s is all I started from seed this year. Not too much though because I like my disease free nightshades.
I bought four tomato plants from Lowes that were on sale 4 for $12. Regular price for 4 inch pots was $7.99 and what they put on sale were small plants people passed over. They all took off pretty well.
One is a Black Cherry which I tried to grow from seed several years ago but didn’t have heat mats or grow lights so they didn’t do well. Maters are forming and I’m excited to be able to finally taste a Black Cherry.
Another one is a Cherokee Purple so likewise, excited to try.
One is Early Girl but definitely won’t be early. Just now getting a few flowers.
The fourth one, the plant marker seems to have disappeared and for the life of me, I don’t remember what it is so those will be a surprise. I’m thinking yellow maters. Hopefully Sungold.
Gave my neighbor one of the Red Deuce and two plants I started from seed, plus he bought some. He’s just about managed to kill most of them off and the rest aren’t doing well in his bare soil that’s never been amended. He relies on chemical powders and sprays and evidently his math was off when he mixed something this year. Most of his garden looks like he sprayed them with RoundUp or something. Luckily he didn’t put anything on the Chadwick and Tappy’s I gave him.
Couple of pole type beans are doing decent but the rest are tiny. I don’t think they like my 5-5.5 pH soil. The Dragon’s Tongue are the ones doing decent and have a few purple flowers.
Shisito plants look better than the ones I grew last year. Did them in a raised bed with store bought organic raised bed soil. Got some peppers that are almost ready to pick and more on the way. Hopefully I’ll get a lot because that soil was $45. I was thinking it was $7/bag or something but it was $11 and I got four of them.
We went from drought to having thunderstorms and heavy rain. Can’t wait to get under plastic. I had a lot of split maters last year from the same weather pattern. Definitely going to lime the big garden and high tunnel area.
The little artsy, eclectic, touristy city near me is really bustling this year. Way more than pre-covid times. There are a couple of new places open for eating/drinking and one has live music. Guy with a big grill making plates up and doing a good amount of business. A road side stand selling watermelons and doing a good amount of business.
A lot of city people have bought land out here to spend their weekends at and probably as a shtf retreat. A few existing owners spent a lot of time here during covid because St Louis was locked down as far as restaurants and any other public venues for weekend enjoyment.
I still have my dream of selling surplus heirloom organically grown veggies and I think this little city is about viable for that. The only other option is a couple of Farmer’s Markets in a college town 50 miles away. I’d rather set my own schedule, pull into a parking lot and open up a Elliot Coleman style trailer.
It’s been unseasonably cool this past week here in Central Missouri. Couple sprinkles of rain but not enough to stop the watering.
I dug up three of the Yukon Gold spud plants yesterday and oh my goodness was I ever surprised - got close to ten pounds of really nice taters. These rarely get bigger than a baseball in my garden but this time they turned out some whoppers. If the rest of them yield similarly I’m going to be set for taters for a good while.
I noticed yesterday I’ve got slicing tomatoes almost ready to pick. Mrs. Augie picked a few cucumbers yesterday. Spaghetti squash are loaded with little 3” squashes. Cantaloupes are vining and starting to set fruit. Filled a two gallon bucket yesterday with the thinnings from one carrot bed. Sweet bell pepper plants are loaded with fruit. There’s one broccoli that’s going to get picked tomorrow morning and eaten for lunch not long after.
I’ve been having trouble with the watering bags on the chestnut trees not wanting to stay standing so yesterday I added another 5’ fiberglass tree stake to each grow tube. Hopefully that will be adequate support to prevent them tipping over and injuring the trees. Several of them are peeking out the top of the tube so it’s probably time to build proper cages for them. If I don’t cage them the dang deer will eat every leaf that they can reach.
But we’ve got a family reunion in town today that’s going to keep me from getting much done in the garden. I’ve got three slabs of baby back ribs cooking in the smoker now for my contribution to the pot luck, and Mrs. Augie is making another rhubarb/blackberry pie to share. Should be a good time seeing the weirdo side of the family. lol
Just got back from a week and a half on vacation.
The peas have done very well. The Romaine is GORGEOUS!
The onions are bulbing and the garlic is n just showing signs of starting to die back.
We are in for almost 4 inches of rain in the next two days and NO opportunity to mow or weed, both of which are desperately needed.
Brussel Sprouts are growing like crazy, beets, turnips and potatoes are doing well. The beans have some flowers.
Although it got off to a dry start, the garden is doing well. The herbs are doing great. LOTS of dill.
I just harvested my garlic scapes, too.
What do I do with them?
Do they freeze well?
Garden visitors today! My niece was delivering piglets to new owners yesterday & spent the night next door - the 2 great-nieces were along. They see garden pics, but wanted to see it in person. That got me going early, cleaning things up a bit after all the rain the last couple of days.
Due to the rain, the cukes went nuts. I threw away about 15 that were too big, getting a bit yellow. There were enough decent ones to send a couple home with the niece & 3 left over for us.
The first spaghetti squash was given away, along with 4 huge & beautiful bell peppers (best I have ever grown), a large onion & 4 scallions. My niece has never made a homegrown spaghetti squash before - hope it turns out for her - she says it is on the menu tonight.
While I was out there, I cut back the sage again, which has finished blooming. I also cut back the mint, which was thinking about blooming. The oregano that was encroaching a bit got cut back, too. The dahlias buds/blooms chewed on by the Japanese beetles were trimmed off and some weeds that I know are susceptible to vinegar were sprayed. Spotted baby squash bugs, but the squash is ripening so they got to the plant late - the vines are about ‘done’ anyway.
Wildlife: saw a Pileated Woodpecker this morning on the Redbuds & spotted a box turtle while mowing in the back field Saturday. Fortunately, the turtle wasn’t in deep grass - I hate running over them with the mower. This one was laying eggs so maybe we’re going to have little turtles around, assuming something doesn’t dig up the eggs before they can hatch.