Fit for a king! (Basil)

Member Name: janharper

Product:	Basil
Date:	20/01/02 (78 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: its good for you and tasty

Disadvantages: hard to grow in UK

Basil is quite difficult to grow in our unreliable climate but it thrives all over the Mediterranean, especially in Italy and Greece.

Those who are fond of Italian cookery will already know that basil is an indispensible ingredient in most savoury recipes. It is essential to making pesto.

In French cuisine basil is the main flavouring in the famous Provencal Pistou soup.

On the Island of Crete, basil is commonly used to flavour sauces and pasta, especially spaghetti and macaroni (add a tablespoon to the water when cooking.)

In Greece this herb is grown for ornamental purposes as well as culinary ones, and a tub outside house doors and chapels helps to keep mosquitoes away.

The official name for this plant , Ocimum Basilicum, comes from the Greek word, 'basilias', which means 'king'.

Basil is also useful in herbal medicine and a simple infusion made in the following way has many uses:

Take a 500 mil bottle of table water (still),
add three tablespoons of basil (dried, or fresh,although dried tends to be stronger). Leave in a dark place for about ten days and then strain.

This infusion can be used as a mouthwash and a couple of tablespoons at meal times can help to prevent stomach ulcers. It also helps digestion and has a calming effect if you are 'uptight', or stressed and can relief headaches.

As with all alternative, or complimentary remedies, anyone who suffers from a medical condition, is currently having treatment by a GP, or who is pregnant, should discuss the suitability of taking any herbal remedy with a medically qualified person before starting treatment.

I would recommend this infusion for settling the stomach after eating too much rich food. To get the benefits of healthy eating and tasty food, sprinkle basil over fresh tomatoes.

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