Basil "Vasiliko"
Basil
(Ocimum basilicum) of the Family Lamiaceae is also known
as Sweet Basil. It is a tender low-growing herb that is
grown as a perennial in warm, tropical climates. Basil is
originally native to India and other tropical regions of Asia,
having been cultivated there for more than 5,000 years. It is
prominently featured in varied cuisines throughout the world
including Italian, Thai, Vietnamese and Laotian. It grows to
between 20–60 cm tall, with opposite, light green, silky leaves
1.5–5 cm long and 1–3 cm broad. The flowers are quite big, white
in color and arranged in a terminal spike. . It is also known
as St. Joseph's wort.
The word
basil comes from the Greek
βασιλεύς
(basileus), meaning "king", as it is believed to have
grown above the spot where St. Constantine and Helen discovered
the Holy Cross. Although grown almost everywhere in Greece,
basil is not used in traditional Greek cooking. Basil was found
growing around Christ's tomb, so today branches of basil are
used by Orthodox priests to spray the congregation with holy
water during important church events.
Many Greeks bring basil plants as gifts to the church
or to have their basil plants blessed by the priest, a blessing
for the health and prosperity of their home.
It wasn't
until recent years when Italian recipes gained popularity in
Greece (i.e., pesto sauce) that basil was used regularly in
cooking.
Origin,
History, and Mythology:
Hippocrates
regarded basil as beneficial to the heart and prescribed it for
treatment of constipation and as an anti-emetic (to prevent
vomiting). Pliny suggested vinegar scented with basil would help
prevent fainting. Dioscurides believed basil to be soothing for
the stomach and abdomen, and useful as a diuretic and a
galactagogue (e.g., an aid in lactation). Basil (Vasilikos)
It has long been used as an embalming and preserving herb, found
in mummies of ancient Egypt. Today, basil is not only used as a
food flavoring, but also in perfumery, incense and herbal
holistic remedies.
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