Ingredient: Basil

Basil is a really pungent, fresh and happy herb. It’s popular in Mediterranean cooking, as well as Ayuvedic medicine. The vibrant green basil leaves are rich in plant polyphenols and are packed full of flavour.

There are over 150 different types of basil. The Egyptians used it to embalm their dead before mummification and the Portuguese give it to loved ones during religious ceremonies.

Basil is a potent anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial herb which aids digestion, can help support healthy blood glucose levels and reduce stress.

You can buy basil dried or frozen but the most flavour is found in the fresh leaves. Keep a small plant on a sunny window sill for a supply of fresh leaves.