It grows to a height of approximately 50-80cm. The leaves are oval and slightly toothed, and the flowers are white, purple or pink. It is in flower from August to September, and the seeds ripen in September. This well known culinary herb has been cultivated in Europe for close to 2,000 years. The flowers and leaves are best used fresh and added only during the last few minutes of cooking.
Basil works well in combination with tomatoes.
Use as a garnish for vegetables, chicken and egg dishes. The leaves are normally used fresh but can also be dried for winter use. To retain the attractive natural shades, chop the fresh leaves and cover with olive oil before freezing. The seed can be eaten on its own or added to bread dough as flavouring. An essential oil obtained from the plant is used as a food flavouring in mustards, sauces, vinegars etc.