About this ingredient
Draft reference. This study is part of the cookbook’s foundations and is still being checked. Local names and cultural notes in particular are the author’s working text, pending verification, rather than settled fact.
- Where it is used
- Mainland; Thai, Lao, Viet, Khmer
- Flavour and aroma
- Horapha is anise-sweet; holy basil (krapao) is peppery-clove and savory; lemon basil is citrusy.
- How it is used
- Horapha finishes curries and pho garnish plates; holy basil is stir-fried (pad krapao); lemon basil scents soups.
- How to select
- Perky, unwilted leaves; horapha has purple stems.
- Storage
- Stems in water like flowers, loosely covered, at cool room temp; refrigeration can blacken leaves.
- Substitutions
- Do not swap the three basils freely; Italian basil is a weak stand-in for horapha only.
- Allergens
- None common.
Names and contextPending verification
The two fields below are drafted and not yet confirmed. They are shown because they are useful, and labelled because they are not final.
- Local names
- Thai: horapha (sweet Thai basil), krapao (holy basil), maenglak (lemon basil)
- Cultural notes
- 'Thai basil' names several distinct herbs; specify which — holy basil for pad krapao is not sweet basil.
The Complete Edition
Thai Basil in the book
This study is one of twenty-seven that open The Southeast Asian Table, before the eleven country chapters and the hundred recipes they carry.
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