All about basil, the herb of kings

 

Basil, thyme, oregano, marjoram, lavender, sage, rosemary, laurel, mint, parsley... the relationship between Liguria and aromatic herbs is intense and fragrant. Basil derives its name from the Greek basilèus (i.e., king) - the adjective basilikón means “of the King or regal”, a confirmation of the long-standing prestige of this herb.

Not surprisingly, in the last 15 years pesto has been acting as the region's main food ambassador (as well as one of the stars of the Mediterranean Diet). His Majesty basil has been the soul of pesto (originally known as savore d'aglio, i.e., garlic taste, a hint to the garlic flavour which in old days seasoned meat and fish) for at least two centuries. German and American universities have established how basil belongs to those plants that boast health benefits and foster well-being... Ocimum basilicum (Linnaeus, 1753) originates in India and tropical Asia, where it was presumably already cultivated 5,000 years ago. It comes in dozens and dozens of varieties. Around the world, it is used in a wide variety of popular medicines and co-stars in recipes such as soups, chicken dishes and creams.

It is mentioned in the Old Testament and the Koran, in the De re coquinaria (attributed to Apicius), which also contains a recipe for moretum (cheese pounded with herbs), in Boccaccio's Decameron. 19th-century explorers 'encountered' basil in Asia and Africa. Its reputation was ambiguous: a viaticum for the afterlife, an insect repellent on board of vessels, an evil herb, a generator of madness in Pliny's Naturalis Historia (but also an aphrodisiac), a medicine for wounds, an energizer for abstainers.

Local lore dates its arrival in Genoa back to Bartolomeo Decotto, a galley captain from Pra' who during the First Crusade fought side by side with the famous Genoese leader Guglielmo da Buglione, who brought the "Sacro Catino" of the Last Supper to Genoa. Decotto is said to have brought a small bag of basil seeds (AD 1101?) to Palmaro -an evocative hypothesis to be taken with (more than) a pinch of salt.

As for pasta, opt for trenette, troffie, mandilli de saea, picagge, testaroli... Wine matching calls for the best Pigato, Sauvignon, Riesling, and dry Malvasia (serve at 11°) ... American food guru Fred Plotkin, an expert of Italian cuisine, in his "Recipes from Paradise" (1996) dedicated more than a dozen pages to pesto: "Pesto, the bewitchingly perfumed green sauce that is ubiquitous in the cooking and the hearts of every Ligurian is now a citizen of the world'.

Provisions by the Basilico Genovese DOP Protection Consortium (established in 2005) define the production area of Basilico Genovese PDO within the area territory of the Tyrrhenian side of Liguria.

My English abstract of Umberto Curti's article as published in Liguria Food

Luisa Puppo 

This is the fascinating world of tastes and crafts that LiguriabyLuisa discloses to foreign markets and buyers (tour operators, travel agencies, organizations, associations, food&wine dealers and import/export professionals....).

Contact me and detail your queries