Also good for other fruit pies and pastries. Bright green leaves of an herb of the mint family. Special affinity for tomato flavored dishes. Basil is available in both fresh and dried forms. Fresh basil and dried basil are completely separate entities, and may not always be freely substituted for each other.
Fresh basil is the key ingredient in making pesto.
Dried, mature berries of a tropical vine. Hard, brown, scimiter-shaped seeds of an herb of the parsley family. Most popular in Austrian and German cooking to flavor breads and pastries. Most often sold in powdered form. Papery pod and dark brown seeds of a plant of the ginger family.