By Barbara Adams Basil's long, intriguing history is steeped in legend and folklore. Experts disagree on its origin, but many feel it evolved in Asia and Africa. Its thought that Alexander the Great brought it to ancient Greece around 356-323 B.C.E. From there, it may have made its way to England from India in the mid 1500s and came to the New World in the early 1600s. Grown in medieval gardens, many classic herbals have mentioned it over the years. Basil can make a wonderful specialty herb garden or home business cash crop for teas, local gourmet restaurants, making and selling a homemade pasta sauce, or sold fresh to other "foodie" customers. Basil is a member of the large mint family. Its botanically name is Ocimum basilicum. It was used as an embalming and preserving herb, and was found in ancient Egyptian mummies. Its embalming usage may be why it was also a symbol of mourning in Greece. There, it was called basilikon phuton, which means royal or kingly herb. There are more than 150 known varieties. These include: Lime-flavored basil from Thailand Red Temple Holy Basil from India Greek Columnar Basil that grows as a true perennial in many locations Magic Mountain Basil with extra lovely purple flowers Green Pepper Basil discovered in Mexico with a pronounced green pepper aroma Basil Ararat, rarely seen heirloom Clove Basil with an obvious clove aroma Sacred Basil, also with a clove scent Mrs. Burns Lemon Basil, a delicious heirloom from New Mexico Greek Basil, grows in gardens or containers to form an almost perfect compact ball Lettuce Leaved Green Basil with larger leaves and very good basil flavor Napoletano Bolloso Basil, has very, very large leaves with just a hint of anise flavor Sweet Dani Lemon Basil with very strong lemon fragrance Mexican Cinnamon Spice Basil with a special, spicy aroma Genovese Basil, large leaves and with a flavor many prefer over any other Barbara Adams
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