Although the scope of its application is not as wide as it could be – all because of the powerful aroma of basil, which makes it unconditionally dominate in combination with delicate foods – where basil is appropriate, it literally transforms the dish, breathing new life into it. And of course, there are many other interesting facts to tell about the basilica.
- Basil comes from central and tropical Asia and Africa – according to one of the versions, we owe the origin of the basil to India. However, in the Mediterranean, basil grew extensively already in antiquity and is an integral part of Mediterranean cuisine.
- The name “basil” goes back to the Greek “royal”, “royal”. The Greeks believed that only the monarch himself, armed with a golden sickle, has the right to collect the basilica.
- In addition, the ancient Greeks, and with them, the Romans believed that basil would rise only if the sowers shouted curses and shouted wildly.
- In general, there are many superstitions associated with basil. For example, it was widely believed that a basil leaf, forgotten under an inverted bowl, after a while turns into a scorpion. Some even believed that sniffing basil would trigger a scorpion in the brain.
- It was also believed that Salome covered the severed head of John the Baptist in a pot of basil to hide the smell of decay. Let us also mention the terrible story told by Boccaccio about a girl who watered a pot of basil with her tears, in which the head of her lover was buried. Later, this story inspired the English poet John Keats to create the poem Isabella, or a pot of basil. However, it seems to me that the fault is not basil, but the overly violent and painful imagination of some creative personalities.
- However, the stories associated with the basil do not have to be chilling. In Italy, basil has always been considered a symbol of love, and in Romania, a young man who accepts a basil stalk as a gift from a girl agrees to be engaged. In Mexico, they believe that basil protects from the fact that the beloved will lay eyes on someone else, in Haiti, basil is generally considered a powerful amulet.
- A mixture of basil and rosemary is used as a salt substitute in a salt-free diet.
- Basil leaves are a valuable source of vitamin P-rutin and provitamin A. In addition, the aerial part of the plant is rich in essential oils, and therefore basil is widely used in medicine as an aphrodisiac and general tonic, to stimulate digestion and arouse appetite.
- Basil goes well with tomatoes and is one of the main ingredients of pesto, so a rare Italian dish does without basil.
- Basil is also famous for the fact that it suits almost any dish – fish, meat, vegetables. In addition, you can always add a spicy flavor to food by seasoning it with vinegar or olive oil infused with basil.
