The benefits of basil

Greetings and welcome to my blog distinguished and learned chefs, today I will be taking us into a salivating mode as we venture into the kitchen as directed by @lirvic.

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Basil is our vegetable of consideration and it is an unfamiliar recipe especially to those of us in the urban areas who only knows the processed form. I will be presenting the article by giving an attempt in answering the following questions

Permit me to start by saying that Basil as become a major ingredient in my delicacies. Yes, I eat basil frequently. Basil happens to be one of those herbs that has found a special place in my kitchen. My choice of basil goes beyond its delicious and welcoming aroma and flavor to it health boosting benefits.

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My love for this leaf as made me incorporate it into my stew, soups, sauce and during legumes. It brings life to both my traditional and foreign delicacies by joining taste to natural wellness. Eating basil is gradually becoming my hobby.

The herb "Basil" is metamorphosing from being just a kitchen herb. It is an hub of organic compounds such as eugenol, citronellol, and rosmarinic acid. So sorry for taking us into my field 'Chemistry.' However, all of these compounds have been discovered through structural investigation of basil.

These compounds are responsible for its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.
In addition to these benefits, in my community, we believe that Basil is highly recommended for digestion, relieves, blood sugar lowering and even easing fever and colds. Therefore, as a chemistry lover, I give Basil maximum respect to serve both as food and medicine.

In my country Nigeria, mentioning the name Basil may seem odd to many people especially, the market women. However, using the name scent leaf, you will come to discover that it is one of the most easiest herb sold around especially in the southern region.

Finding this same leaf in the supermarket introduces the name Basil. However, to the lovers of this herbs, the name as nothing to do with the aroma and medicinal values we obtain from it, we identify it without the name.

Typically, Basil is could be sold at the rate of 200 naira upward depending on the location and season. Translating this amount to Steem, Basil costs about 0.7 Steem depending on the value of the token. Basically, that's very affordable for a plant with such potentials.

Storing Basil is not a very big task for me. I've learned to store it in a manner that it's freshness remains untouched for days. One of the ways I store my basil is by wrapping it freshly in a paper towel and putting in a well zipped bag or container in the fridge or refrigerator. In most instances, in situations of power failure, I dry my basil under the sun. At this point, though it lost its freshness, the aroma and benefits remains untempered.

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In addition to these, they was a time someone introduced me to blending my basil with olive oil then freezing the mixture in ice cube trays. Well, though it worked, but it demands you use it for stew or sauce meal.

The versatility of basil throws me into great confusion in regards which meal I should use as a case study. Before I proceed, let me quickly mention that you don't need to be a chef before using Basil. Here are some easy ways to incorporate basil into our meal.

Adding to soup and stew at the final stage so as to preserve the aroma
Combing the leaf with ginger and honey and taking it as tea
Blending the leaf with tomato, garlic, onion and using for sauce
Chopping and sprinkling on cooked meat or fish for a fresh herbal finishing etc.

Basil is a miracle leaf that is yet to me unravel by many. I recommend the leaf to chefs who wants to have better aroma in their meal. At this point I invite @impersonal @berda01 and @alexanderpeace to join the contest.