A to Z of French Herbs - Basil

Basil

Basil isn't always thought of as a French herb, but it certainly has its place in French cuisine, especially the cuisine of the Mediterranean or Provence area.

Basil in French is pronounced Basilic. One variety of basil sold in France is actually called French Basil, but it’s known to many people around the world as Thai basil or sweet basil.

French basil belongs to the lamiaceae family or mint family of herbs and is known to many as St. Joseph's wort. It's also Known to French chefs as the king of herbs or herbs royal, the Royale herb.

The herb royal name is probably one of the most popular names for basil in France. But the name basil actually comes from the latin Basileus or the Greek βασιλικόν φυτόν (basilikón phutón), meaning Royal. It said that the Princesses of Byzantium gave it its name for its beauty and its fragrance.

The names origin is thought come from many different traditions. But one thought is that it relates to the Greek word basileus which means Lord or leader of the people.

Basilisk as it’s seen on the Harry Potter movies

Another thought about the name basil is that it's from the mythical Basilisk. Basilisks are a serpent than can kill with a glance or by breathing on you. Definitely not getting one of those as a pet, which probably isn't really a problem because, well, it's supposed to be mythical.

Depending on the species of basil, the leaves have an anise like aroma. Some say it smells like cloves, and others think that it has a pungent scent that is mostly sweet smelling.

Of course Basil is known to many when they think of Italian cuisine, but it is also used throughout many Southeast Asian cuisines like Indonesian, Malaysian, Thai and Vietnamese food. In Portugal, basil plants are given to a lover or a loved one, as well as with a poem during some religious holidays.

So how did basil become part of French cuisine? Many believe that this is because of Catherine De Medici when she married the French Prince Henry, who later became King Henry II. Her royal entourage brought with them to France, fruits, vegetables, new grapevine varieties, and of course recipes, many of which use basil and other herbs. So from this time basil became part of French cuisine.

Potted Basil Plant

The 14th day of the month of the Thermidor calendar, which is the French Republican revolutionary calendar, is referred to actually as basil’s day. Usually, this falls on the first of August in the Gregorian calendar.

Basil originated in India, and a version of it had come to France in Roman times. Obviously before Catherine De Medici’s time. Sweet basil played an important part of the cuisine of the Roman Empire, and Julius Caesar made France part of the Roman Empire back in 52 BCE, but it wasn't really embraced in French cuisine until the time of the Medici’s.

Basil is harvested seasonally from June to July, sometimes August depending on where it's grown and when it's at its best. Basil grows freely in the wild, but is very commercially grown and can be found in supermarkets and markets all year round nowadays. Usually, it is grown in hot houses in winter. It's considered a companion plant, actually to tomatoes.

Basil comes in many varieties. The most popular is sweet basil. But there's also purple basil, which chefs use because it is slightly sweeter and the aroma has a slightly spicier flavor to it.

Hindu deity Vishnu is the god of Preservation

Basil is recommended in homeopathic medicine as an antioxidant, and it's the source of phosphorus which is set to aid for indigestion.

In India, where the herb originated. It's rarely used as a culinary herb though. Instead, it has a religious ceremony. Instead, it has a strong religious symbolism, as it is said to be sacred to Vishnu the god of preservation.

Planted inside of Shiva temples, many Hindus also have basil plants at the entry of their homes because of the plant's connection to Lakshmi, the goddess of riches, and good luck.

Used for medicinal purposes, in ancient times, Basil was used to cure snake bites, but also apparently it worked well to ward off dragons. Lucky for us though dragons aren't a problem these days.

One use for Basil is to propel mosquitoes, which is a bit more handy now. Plant some basil in pots on your kitchen windowsill, and then that should do the trick. Mosquitoes should stay away. Oh, and you'll also have a fresh supply for cooking as well.

Pistou Soup using the French version of Pesto, Pistou!

Basil is often on provincial menus under the Occitan name Fabrego. Occitan is the language that lost out in the competition for a single language that would unite France. Occitan is used alongside modern French by many French citizens still today.

Possibly the most famous dish in French cuisine that has basil as its main ingredient is pistou which is the French version of the Italian pesto. This is a similar sauce in its ingredients and the way it's made. But there are two main differences. The first is that there's no pine nuts in pistou. And the other is that sometimes the French use grueyre cheese instead of Parmesan cheese.

The name Pesto/Pistou come from the Latin word Pestare, which means to crush. Pistou is mainly found in the southern region of France. It's considered by locals to be a provincial Nicoise creation. This makes a lot of sense as Nice was a hundreds of years ago an Italian city. Nice became part of France around 150 years ago.

Traditional traditionally, a mortar and pestle is used to make pistou, but these days modern cooks have taken to using a food processor. Famous American cooking journalist and Francophile Patricia Wells is noted as saying that only by using the traditional method of the mortar and pestle, will you be able to retain the bright green color and from my experience, I tend to agree with Patricia.

This was the topic on Fabulously Delicious: The French Food Podcast and you can listen to the full episode via Spotify or Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.