Herb
Ocimum basilicum
A tier
Ocimum basilicum is the botanical species of sweet basil encompassing Genovese, Thai, purple, and lemon-leaning cultivars. Species-level identity does not fix flavour—cultivar chemistry ranges from clove-sweet to anise. When a recipe says O. basilicum it means culinary sweet-basil group, not holy basil (O. tenuiflorum). Choose named cultivars for predictable kitchen results.
Track this ingredient
Unit
Characteristics
Preparations
ChoppedDriedFreshGarnishInfusedPestoTorn
Traits
AromaticCulinaryGlobalSpecies EntrySweetSweet Basil SpeciesVariable
History
IN
O. basilicum diversified across Asia and later the Mediterranean.
SE
Linnaean botany formalised Ocimum basilicum.
Horticulture exploded cultivar diversity within the species.
Global herb trade moved O. basilicum as a top fresh herb.