Introducing...Thai Basil. Though this herb shares it name with the common Sweet Basil, it possesses a flavor & fragrance all its own. When customers linger by our herbs at the stand, I will often ask them to rub a leaf & sniff. The reaction is always the same -- Mmmm! Thai basil smells very much like licrorice & is most often associated with Asian cooking. Like other varieties of basil, it is not an herb that should be cooked, but rather tossed in at the end of cooking.
Recently, we made stirfry (for the recipe see: http://greatlettuce.blogspot.com/2011/12/starring-bok-choy.html ). We made some slight changes that enhanced the flavors tremendously. Instead of olive oil, we used sesame oil. We used baby bok choy, separating the leaves & stems. The leaves were tossed in later as we were putting the sauce in the wok. Before serving, we mixed in about 2 tsp of freshly chopped Thai Basil. The combination of flavors was perfect.
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