Thai basil

Thai basil
Early-season Thai basil
SpeciesOcimum basilicum
VarietyOcimum basilicum var. thyrsiflora[1]
Sweet basil is light green with wide leaves while Thai basil has purple stems and flowers and spear-like leaves
Late summer Thai basil flowers
Midsummer Thai basil with flowers

Thai basil (Thai: โหระพา, RTGS: horapha, ISO: hōraphā, pronounced [hǒː.rá(ʔ).pʰāː]; Khmer: ជីរនាងវង, chi neang vorng; Vietnamese: húng quế) called káu-chàn-thah (九層塔) in Taiwan, is a type of basil native to Southeast Asia that has been cultivated to provide distinctive traits. Widely used throughout Southeast Asia, its flavor, described as anise- and licorice-like and slightly spicy, is more stable under high or extended cooking temperatures than that of sweet basil. Thai basil has small, narrow leaves, purple stems, and pink-purple flowers.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Simon was invoked but never defined (see the help page).