How to Use Different Types of Basil | Foodal (2024)

Basil, a beloved herb!

We all get so excited seeing those gorgeous, big leaves at the grocery stores and farmers markets, and many of us intimately share a personal harvesting bond with it in our own home herb gardens during the summer months.

Being among the most popular of herbs, basil – Ocimum basilicum – is widely used in different cuisines and dishes, both sweet and savory.

With dozens upon dozens of varieties, this beautiful herb offers a surprisingly expansive assortment of flavors… which means so much creative fun for us in the kitchen!

Flavors range from bold and spicy to mild and sweet, and each type has the ability to grant a given dish its own distinctive signature.

Choosing which type to use is always up to individual tastes and preferences, but there are certain varieties that work advantageously to align perfectly with the recipe at hand.

Some provide the expected bold Italian personality in sauces and dips, while others are better suited for delicately perfuming Thai curries or drinks with subtle anise notes.

In this guide, we’ll chat about our current list of favorite varieties and cultivars, and how each choice can add its unique vibrancy and floral charm to your recipes.

Bring the herbal bounty of basil into your kitchen now!

1. ‘Cinnamon’

‘Cinnamon’ lives up to its name, smelling and tasting like warming, spicy cinnamon.

When used with a light touch, it will give your dishes a lift in directions you never thought of before!

It’s a delightful choice in assorted baked goods, salads, and sweet-and-tangy chutneys.

For a smart pairing, use this particular cultivar in dishes that include granola seasoned with assorted spices. Mix it in our green salad with savory granola, or use it as a garnish for our fruit salad yogurt parfait.

For dessert, what a delicious addition it will be in our slice-and-bake buttery shortbread cookies! Anything but plain, these baked treats are buttery with a slight crumble.

2. ‘Dark Opal’

Gorgeously deep purple, ‘Dark Opal’ is a breathtaking option!

A cultivar of sweet basil, the flavor is approachable and floral without too much bitterness or spiciness.

A purple-hued pesto will be a vibrant surprise as part of the dinner course on the kitchen table, and you’ll love the bold look when you pair these leaves with other brightly colored fresh produce like peaches or tomatoes.

For example, the leaves will mingle beautifully with fresh peach wedges on our ricotta flatbreads, or with juicy tomatoes in our oven-roasted tomato sauce.

3. Italian Large Leaf

Italian Large Leaf is a variety with one of the largest leaves among the many varieties.

It is big and robust in flavor, yet not overpowering, and is most commonly used in pesto – the larger leaves will yield bigger batches of beautifully flavored sauce!

You can use Foodal’s classic Italian pesto with pine nuts and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese as your go-to recipe.

A tried-and-true pairing is pesto and pasta – it’s a winning combo in our chicken pasta with asparagus and sun-dried tomatoes – but there are many other ways to serve this piquant sauce.

Mix it in tender spaghetti squash for a gluten-free dinner idea, or layer it with creamy goat cheese and roasted carrots to make crisp tartines as a party appetizer.

4. Lemon

The Lemon variety tastes just like it sounds: oh-so lemony!

The aroma and flavor is pure, clean, and crisp, and it works wonderfully in sauces. This variety gives a little bit of a lift to your recipes, and a light zing to the taste buds.

You can add a touch of lemon to your dishes without using an actual lemon, or amplify any lemon ingredients already present in the dish… impressive!

Next time you’re seeking a thirst-quenching beverage, use this variety in this strawberry, lemon, and herb infused water.

And for a savory fix, it will be the ideal addition to the citrus-forward ingredients in a vegan lemon orzo pasta salad, as well as in a lemony pesto.

This type complements other cultivars beautifully, so mix it with ‘Red Rubin’ or Italian Large Leaf for a signature blend of fresh herbs that’s uniquely your own.

5. ‘Red Rubin’

‘Red Rubin’ is a cultivar with a flavor that will be pleasing to those in search of a more intriguing taste and color.

These wonderful reddish-purple leaves add color, as well as a clove-like flavor to your dishes.

It’s a visually stunning contrast to incorporate in a dish that uses whole leaves, and offers a pop of amusingly opposing color among all the greenery in your garden.

Given its baking spice essence, play with it in baked goodies, both sweet and savory!

We know it will be a natural in our cumin-spiced carrot crostata, as well as our einkorn tomato baked pastry.

6. Sweet

Sweet basil is another rather common variety, and another favorite for pesto.

It’s an appealing choice for everyday use in cooking and garnishing. As the name suggests, these leaves are mild and sweet with a soft and subtle licorice flavor and clove fragrance.

While your pesto will love a handful of these leaves, other dishes will benefit from this option, as well. Toss it in salads with einkorn berries and a honey dressing, layer it in sandwiches and wraps, and use it as a bright garnish for creamy, hearty dishes like mushroom risotto.

Or take inspiration from the name itself, and incorporate it in your favorite sweet treats. Mix it in homemade strawberry jam, which you can then swirl into dairy-free coconut ice cream.

Pursue even more refreshments by adding an herbaceous twist to popsicles – our recipe for citrus honey creamsicles will both surprise and delight!

7. Thai

To add a spicier, stronger kick to your dishes, use the Thai variety!

This type is popular for its distinct anise/licorice flavor, and has the power to brighten sultry sauces, soups, stews, and braises with just a few leaves.

When seasoning your recipes with these leaves, begin with a smaller amount, taste-test for strength level, and gradually increase as needed.

This is a thoughtful consideration for first-time consumers, especially those who are not as enthused by anise-flavored ingredients.

But we don’t think they’ll take much convincing – all they need are a couple sips of our sweet and spicy vegan spaghetti squash laksa soup or our a few nibbles of shrimp pad Thai garnished with a handful of the leaves, and they’ll be hooked on a new herb!

Explore Your Options

If you are a beginning cook or an experienced chef, a basic understanding of the herbs and spices you cook with is essential.

And, understanding that there are varieties and cultivars available of any given herb or spice opens up the opportunity to play and experiment with subtle flavor differences.

And that certainly can be said for basil!

Perfect in pesto, there are countless other ways to use this floral herb – use it in soups, pizzas, drinks, desserts, baked goods, and far more. Try any of our suggestions we recommended, and see how a new variety of herb can update your favorite recipes.

Want to work that green thumb? Head over to our sister site Gardener’s Path to learn more about the best varieties of basil, and how to grow them.

What will you season with this featured herb? And what type will you use among our list? Let us know in the comments!

If you hope to dive deeply into learning about other herbs and how to use them in your kitchen, take a look at more guides among our collection of herbs and spices articles:

• Jazz Up Your Menu with Ginger
• 9 Types of Aromatic Mint for Garnishes and More
• Spicy Wasabi: A Rare Rhizome with Huge Flavor

Photos by Fanny Slater and Nikki Cervone, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Uncredited photos via Shutterstock. Originally published February 6, 2015. Last updated February 28, 2024.