Thai basil

Basilic thaï (horapha)

What it is

Thai kitchens keep three basils apart and never swap them: horapha with its purple stem and anise note, holy basil for stir-fries, lemon basil for soups. Horapha runs on a different balance of aromatics from Genovese basil, and its firmer leaf survives a simmering curry instead of going black.

In the kitchen

Add it in the last minute of a curry, whole leaves and tender stem tips together, pressed under the sauce. Unlike Genovese it takes heat, but chopping it releases the oils that turn the anise medicinal.

Goes with

Coconut milk Fish sauce Chili pepper Lemongrass Galangal Beef Duck Lime

Same species

Basil Basil seed Holy basil Purple basil

In season alongside

Anise hyssop Hoja santa Lemon tagetes Nasturtium

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