I'm starting my own herb garden and want to plant Basil, but I'm not sure which is the best variety. I use Basil for a wide variety of dishe

Since I will not be making just pesto or Italian food, I was thinking of Basil Genovese. Or would sweet Basil be better?

Margaret Pollack
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5 Comments

healthierkitchen
healthierkitchen January 31, 2012
For Asian dishes, it's great to have a Thai basil plant around!
 
pierino
pierino January 30, 2012
Thai basil and African basil aren't true basil but they can be a bit hardier. The frustrating thing about growing basil is that you have to be watchful and pinch off the flower buds or else the plants will "bolt" and you will be left with leggy stems.
 
Smaug
Smaug July 8, 2019
Thai basil is a botanical variety of the species Ocimum Basilicum and would qualify as a true basil. African Blue Basil is a hybrid of that species with another species of Ocimum, and so I suppose would be an illegitimate cousin or some such.







 
mainecook61
mainecook61 January 30, 2012
I find Genovese basil to be the easiest to grow in a New England garden. It doesn't bolt too soon and it thrives under a variety of conditions. That said, I am also a fan of a variety called Fino, which has tiny leaves but big flavor and would do well in a pot. I always grow Thai basil, but it tends to have tougher stems and to go to flower more quickly. Check out the varieties in the online catalogs of Johnnys Selected Seeds or Fedco. (Lemon basil is nice, too. The purple varieties are ornamental but also tasty and beautiful in a salad.)
 
inpatskitchen
inpatskitchen January 29, 2012
I plant about 10 sweet basil plants every year and use it in everything. It's pretty hardy and all purpose.
 
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