Basil

Basil, also called great basil, is a culinary herb of the mint family, native to tropical regions from Central Africa to Southeast Asia and used in cuisines worldwide; in Western cuisine, the generic term basil usually refers to the variety also known as Genovese or sweet basil. In temperate climates basil is treated as an annual plant, though it can be grown as a short-lived perennial or biennial in warmer tropical or Mediterranean zones, and there are many varieties, including sweet basil, Thai basil and lemon-scented cultivars, some formed through cross-pollination with other species in the genus Ocimum.