Tuesday, September 16, 2008

A Brief History of Basil

It's not commonly known that basil originated in India. It was brought to the Mediterranean via the spice routes in ancient times. Basil spread to other parts of Asia, and became popular in the use of curries in Thailand, and in Italian cuisine.

In Romania, basil took a more romantic turn; when a man accepts a sprig of basil from a woman, he is officially engaged. The Greek word for basil means royal or kingly. It was believed that only the king himself should harvest this herb, and only with the use of a golden sickle. No matter what the country the consensus is that basil is Royalty amongst the herb family.

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