A lot of people have a basil plant on the windowsill in their kitchen. They probably use its leaves in homemade pesto or Italian inspired recipes, and the most adventurous would incorporate them in cocktails created to impress friends with their originality (originality of the cocktails or of their humble inventors, I’ll let you be the judge of that…!) I am no exception to this rule: there is a basil plant on my Bristolian kitchen’s windowsill, and I like to think of myself as an eccentric drinks maker.

My basil is magnificent. It is dense, its leaves are large and rounded, it has a vibrant and adorable green colour, and at the moment it is flowering. It looks so pretty and happy that I feel bad to steal its leaves. So I pick them with care and use them wisely. And too bad if my bushy basil blocks the light through the kitchen window: as soon as my hands inadvertently brush it when making a recipe, its leaves smile at me by releasing a scent that shines like a sun brighter than any sun in the world: the sun of Provence. The sun from my home. My lovely basil is my friend, it is kind, it reassures me with a green and sensory hug. As you may have understood: we’re very close (partners in crime!)

Perhaps that’s the reason why, in folklore and popular tales, basil was said to arouse sympathy between two people and was used in the making of potions to help angry lovers calm down. It is associated with prosperity, success, peace, protection, happiness, purification, tranquillity and love. In other words, it’s all positive when it comes to basil. And I must admit that’s how my basil makes me feel – maybe you can feel it too.

To help you with that, I’ve developed a recipe for a cold basil and rose infusion.

Now that you’ve got your refreshment in hand, sit back and relax while you learn a bit more about some of the benefits of basil for your health!

Basil (Ocimum basilicum), also called ‘royal herb’ (classy), comes from India, is very sensitive to cold and can only be grown in the open ground in the summer. Which explains the countless numbers of my failed repotting attempts and miserable plantings: a true basil planticide. Very sad for such a virtuous herb. Luckily, you and I now know it all: you buy a basil plant, and you just leave it alone. You leave it in its pot, you water it, but not too much, you put it in a sunny spot, but away from the afternoon burning sun.

Its health benefits

• Basil contains a lot of different vitamins and minerals, and helps to prevent anaemia with its high iron content.

• It has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions.

• It’s a disinfectant, and it is recommended to chew fresh basil leaves in case of mouth ulcers.

• It’s antispasmodic and very efficient against digestive spasms, bloating, colic, nausea and vomiting.

• It has sedative properties which makes it very popular in cases of anxiety and insomnia, as well as dizziness and nervous headaches.

• Basil stimulates blood circulation to the brain and would therefore improve memory. Something to try out!

• Its uplifting scent stimulates appetite, making basil a herb of choice for convalescents who need to regain their strength through their plate!

• Its antimicrobial properties are excellent as steam inhalations to treat sinus inflammations and all sorts of respiratory system infections (cold, flu, cough).

A few tips from my kitchen to yours

• Do not cook basil leaves, as they will lose all their aroma. Take your dish out of the oven or your pan off the heat when cooked, and add fresh basil leaves when you’re ready to serve.

• Dried leaves do not have much taste either (nor nutritional interest), so you know what you need to do (yes, invest in a basil plant and join the ‘windowsill with no light coming in but with the best cocktails’ club).

• When picking the leaves, choose the largest and eldest ones, or the extremities. In that case, you will encourage a bushy growth. And trust me, that’s what you want in the long run.

A few tips from my naturopathy bag to yours

• Quick fix infusion in case of digestive troubles: throw about 10 fresh basil leaves in a cup of boiling water and infuse for 5 minutes before drinking.

• All kinds of stomach aches, constipation / menstruations pain: dilute 1 drop of exotic basil essential oil in 4 to 5 drops of any type of plant-based oil (I personally am a big fan of sweet almond oil, but each to their own) and massage your abdomen with this mix in a clockwise motion. Never use this essential oil pure on the skin. • In case of panic attack, anxiety or spasmophilia, apply the same mix (dilute 1 drop of exotic basil essential oil in 4 to 5 drops of any type of plant-based oil) to your solar plexus and inside your wrists. Smell your wrists as many times as necessary while trying to relax.

• During pregnancy: from the second trimester of pregnancy, this essential oil can help relieve nausea. Never use this essential oil during the first 3 months of pregnancy.

A few anecdotes to wrap up…

• Ancient Egyptians had discovered that basil had bactericidal actions that could be useful to preserve food… and dead bodies. This discovery later gave macabre ideas that we can find in Boccacio work of poetry, who then inspired the English poet John Keats in Isabella and the pot of basil: ‘Ladies, you can preserve the head from your beheaded lover in a basil pot for a few weeks, grief the loss of a loved one taken away by a sharp edge or taste sweet as per which hand slayed him…’ (This is my own translation of John Keats’ poem, not an official one…) The number of weeks depending on temperature!

Please don’t ask me for the full head-in-basil-pot method, I do not have it.

• On a more joyful note, it is said that in the Middle-Age in the Mediterranean islands, basil was growing naturally in the wild and it was custom to present it as a gift to strangers, a gesture of peace and welcome since language was a barrier. As soon as a boat would make land, children were in charge of running towards it to welcome the newcomers with bunches of basil, in order to protect the island, as fear can often lead to hostility.

• Later on, basil took to the street and we come across many anecdotes from traditional folklore. What could be more innocent than a pot of basil on a windowsill? Well… caution! It used to be a way to indicate that the road was clear and a man could safely and secretly enter the house to meet with his lover (Finally, it sounds like this crazy cocktails business could swiftly go wrong!)

• For the lover wishing to commit his life without having to work too hard on figures of speech, he only needed to offer a branch of basil to his beloved. By accepting it, she was silently promising to love him and remain faithful for eternity [shivers]. A time-saving technique that goes straight to point!

There we are. You are now a little bit more acquainted to basil, or at least I very much hope so. I’ll leave you here because all good things have an end, but basil has a lot more in store and I warmly invite you to share your tips, experiences, recipes or questions in the comments below.

Speak soon!