Now that I’m living in Italy, one of the most popular foods and spices is basil, otherwise know as Ocimum basilicum.
Basil is the key ingredient in pesto – along with pie nuts, parmesan cheese and olive oil. That’s it. It’s my emergency meal when there’s nothing in the house to eat. When I’m STARVING, all I need is fresh pasta and pesto and you can have a meal literally in minutes (though if you are a sprinter, you should watch the carbs… I’m not saying do not eliminate it entirely and go Atkins, but watch the bloating effect along with water)
Plus, fresh basil grown on the window sill keeps the mosquitoes away. If you’ve been to Rome, you know about the mosquitoes and pappatacis!
Fellow Canuck John Berardi has a long research article on his Blog about the benefits of basil:
- Antimicrobial properties
- Inflammation
- Diabetes and cardiovascular disease
- Antioxidants and cancer
I won’t bother copying the entire article, as it is called What’s So Healthy About Basil?
It is a long read, but packed with some good information.
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