What Does Basil Smell Like? Choose The Most Flavorful Varieties

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It is not easy to answer this question, because it is one of the most unexpected herbs. Its aroma is always bright and strong, and perhaps you can say that Basil smells of Sunny summer, hot South, spicy Italian or Georgian cuisine.

To some, this definition may seem too vague, but it is difficult to formulate it more precisely, because this fragrant plant carries a whole aromatic palette full of endless nuances, shades, and semitones.

Most often there are varieties with clove or pepper flavors, or combining both of these shades. But there are varieties that clearly have notes of anise, citrus, mint, camphor, cinnamon, and even bitter almonds.

Basil is also diverse in appearance: some plants are more than a meter in height, others barely reach the size of 6 cm, and they are really better to grow in a flower pot on the windowsill. Leaves, for example, in the variety ‘Mamont’ are the size of a palm, and in dwarf Basil — no more than the nail of the little finger. And they are, depending on the variety, glossy smooth or bubbly, as if crumpled, with smooth edges, wavy or jagged.

What Does Basil Smell Like? Choose The Most Flavorful Varieties

The color of the leaves and shoots is from light green to deep emerald, sometimes rich green is permeated with purple veins, but at the same time there are many purple shades, from almost red to almost black.

Flowers-white, pink, red, purple-are collected in inflorescences. In short, this plant is for those who love variety and lush summer splendor — both in the garden and on the table.

What Does Basil Smell Like? Choose The Most Flavorful Varieties

Now on the seed market, Basil is presented in all its beauty and fragrant abundance. This was taken care of not only by producers, but also by breeders who worked on breeding their varieties almost like perfumers. The fact is that the composition of essential oils of this plant is so complex and rich that it makes it possible to select, enhance or emphasize a particular aromatic note when breeding new varieties.

You can compare, for example, in which variety the smell of cinnamon is more pronounced, where the smell of anise is more pronounced.

What Does Basil Smell Like? Choose The Most Flavorful Varieties

Important: rich and complex in composition, Basil essential oil, contained in all parts of the plant, has a strong bactericidal effect. In addition, Basil contains sugars, carotene, vitamins C, B2, PP and rutin, so its greens are not only fragrant and delicious, but also very useful.

But especially widely represented varieties of Basil with citrus shades. On sale, you can also find varieties of ‘lime’ and ‘ Green lime’, the latter flavor is even more complex and refined, it has notes of grapefruit and lemongrass.

What Does Basil Smell Like? Choose The Most Flavorful Varieties

Those who like sweet smells should pay attention to the variety ‘vanilla Flavor’, and fans of Muscat-to the variety’ Raspberry Muscat’.

The variety ‘Pomegranate nutmeg’ has a more complex flavor, nutmeg-pepper, and the definitions “raspberry” and “pomegranate” in the name indicate the color of these plants.

It is not difficult to guess what color of leaves and varieties of ‘Purple stars’, but the flavor of it is completely unexpected-Bay.

And Basil — a beautiful decoration of the garden. This wonderful spicy herb has only one serious drawback: it is thermophilic, so in the middle lane in the open ground does not reach its true size and volume. Therefore, in a temperate climate, Basil is better grown through seedlings and in a greenhouse, between tomatoes and peppers (by the way, supporters of allelopathy claim that the taste of tomatoes and peppers only improves) or in a container on the balcony.

What Does Basil Smell Like? Choose The Most Flavorful Varieties


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