Basil is one of the most popular herbs in the kitchen and is also often grown in the home garden. There are many different types of basil in nature. You can find out what makes them special here.
Basil grows in large parts of Central and South America, in Africa and in Asia. Since the plants do not tolerate frost, they are basically annuals in our gardens. The leaves can have a different color and the plant height also varies greatly depending on the variety.
There are about 60 wild types of basil in total, but in European gardens the selection is usually very small. Most of the varieties that we use in Germany come from the Mediterranean region, and they are usually Genovese basil species and hybrids. The variety of basil is hardly manageable, so the following is just a small excerpt.
❀ Basil - The Classics
The basil classics include Genovese basil, sweet basil and curly green basil. The best known and most common of these is the ocimum basilicum "genovese", which comes from the Mediterranean countries. It reaches a height of up to 60 cm and has dark green, glossy smoothers with a pointed-oval shape. Sweet basil is closely related to this variety but has smaller leaves. The green curly basil is widespread, especially in England.
❀ Different varieties from Thailand
Thai basil is also very popular. This is the generic term for different varieties that only occur in Thailand's nature. These include, for example:
- the wild Thai basil
- the dark Thai basil and
- the Mild Thai Basil
All have a fairly warm aroma and taste slightly of cinnamon and aniseed with a hint of allspice and clove. If basil is to be used for an Asian dish, it is usually mild Thai basil (bai horapa).
❀ The red-leaved varieties
Most people are familiar with basil with green leaves, but there are also red-leaved varieties from Japan. This variant includes:
- the redCurled Basil
- the red-leaved basil and
- The Wild Purple Basil
The red differs in shades, ranging from light pink to dark purple, the leaves can be smooth or curly. The red-leaved varieties are rich in vitamin C and contain anthocyanin. This is also responsible for the red color.
❀ Various varieties from Africa
Just as there are varieties typical of Asia, the African continent also has special varieties of basil. African diversity includes:
- The African Green Basil
- the Reddish-Bluish African Basil and
- the African tree basil
These herbs are perennials if they can be sheltered over winter.
❀ Aromatic Varieties
We all know the typical taste of basil, but there are also numerous types that surprise with a very special aroma. Examples of these aromatic varieties include:
- the liquorice basil
- the aniseed basil
- the lemon basil
- the cinnamon basil and
- the clove basil
So you can not only enjoy the classic peppery taste, but also very exotic flavors. These varieties are distributed all over the world and have different growth patterns.
❀ Basil varieties from all over the world
If the climate is ideal for the herb, then there are many regional types of basil around the world. All belong to the genus of ocimum basilicum. However, they differ in aroma, the color of the leaves and their growth. Examples of basil from different regions of the world are:
- Greek basil
- Cypriot Basil
- Russian shrub basil
- the pepperleaf basil and
- Cuban Basil