One of my favourite herbs - basil. Its fresh and versatile flavour enhances any type of cooking that you add it to. I have tried planting the more common basil (sweet basil) that's often used in Italian cooking for pesto and pizza however being in Malaysia, it is not native here hence some of us might find it difficult to source and grow.
I had my hands on a couple of pots of this type of basil from a Sunday market but they died pretty quickly - only a few days after we bought it. Perhaps due to too much moisture or too hot a temperature.
However, Malaysia and other Asian countries have their own type of basil. In Malaysia, they are called 'Daun Selasih'. I am not too familiar of its usage in Malaysian cuisine however due to my craving for some pesto (as I have not been able to find a ready-made one) I have made my own, using the locally found basil.
There were 2 different types of basil that I have found here so far, from 2 different supermarkets. The first one had a green stem and more pungent basil smell. I can't really say if I detected any lemon scent, but comparing pictures to ones that I could find online, this could be Thai lemon basil. I bought this bunch about 1 week ago and replanted them in a pot after plucking the leaves. They're really easy growers.
I had my hands on a couple of pots of this type of basil from a Sunday market but they died pretty quickly - only a few days after we bought it. Perhaps due to too much moisture or too hot a temperature.
However, Malaysia and other Asian countries have their own type of basil. In Malaysia, they are called 'Daun Selasih'. I am not too familiar of its usage in Malaysian cuisine however due to my craving for some pesto (as I have not been able to find a ready-made one) I have made my own, using the locally found basil.
There were 2 different types of basil that I have found here so far, from 2 different supermarkets. The first one had a green stem and more pungent basil smell. I can't really say if I detected any lemon scent, but comparing pictures to ones that I could find online, this could be Thai lemon basil. I bought this bunch about 1 week ago and replanted them in a pot after plucking the leaves. They're really easy growers.
The second type that I found yesterday had purple stems and purple flowers. They smelled less pungent, in fact very mild. Again, I compared pictures to ones online and I think I can safely say that they were Cinnamon basil.
As the previous bunch, I replanted these in the backyard -I just love my own collection of herbs at home.
I managed to make green pesto and my verdict is they both do the trick.
Click here for the pesto recipe!
If you prefer a pesto that doesn't have a very strong herby taste, the Cinnamon basil is the one to go for.
If you really want to go that extra mile for an authentic tasting Italian dish, get yourselves some sweet basil.
I think I'll try and get me some too!
I managed to make green pesto and my verdict is they both do the trick.
Click here for the pesto recipe!
If you prefer a pesto that doesn't have a very strong herby taste, the Cinnamon basil is the one to go for.
If you really want to go that extra mile for an authentic tasting Italian dish, get yourselves some sweet basil.
I think I'll try and get me some too!