A 21-basil salute: for taste, fragrance, and beauty, these are the basils to know and grow

摘要

My love affair with basil began when I first tasted pesto in Italy. How can I describe the experience? The play of flavors in my mouth was an alluring blend of licorice and sweet lemon, with suggestions of cinnamon and clove, and a final hint of mint. The brilliant flavor and fragrance of this intoxicating herb makes me swoon as much today as it did that day 30 years ago. There are dozens of varieties of basil (Ocimum) available, with new ones being introduced all the time. You can spend years trying them all--and I have. But of the many I love, a handful stand out. The 21 varieties I have assembled here have unique qualities--be it flavor, scent, color, or shape--that make them worth finding space for in the garden.