KNOWyourHERBS
Holy Basil
S
teeped in cultural
prising that tulsi means 'matchless' in Hindi. Also, the Holy
lore and replete
Basil plant was so named because it was common in Indian
with medicinal
temples and courtyards.
applications, it's not
hard to understand
WHAT IS IT?
why this plant is called
There are two varieties of Holy Basil, the milder white, or
holy. True to its Sanskrit
pale green, and the more assertively fl avored red. The leaves
name, Tulsi, meaning
and stems of the red holy basil have a reddish purple cast. The
"incomparable," this
leaves of both varieties are smaller than those of Mediterra-
herb is an important
nean sweet basil and have serrated rather than smooth edges.
Ayurvedic herb.
The stems and leaves are lightly covered with little hairs.
Did you ever stop
Holy Basil is sometimes referred to as “hot basil” or “pep-
to think that the healing properties of
per basil” because unlike sweet or Thai basil, which have a fl a-
plants have not changed. What was a healing
vor more reminiscent of licorice, Holy Basil is spicy and tastes
herb a thousand years ago is still a healing
more like cloves. Because its fl avor intensifi es as it cooks, it is
herb today. In the ancient world, healers were
preferred cooked over raw. Be advised, however, it is not in-
expected to know their herbs, and they spent
terchangeable with Western (sweet) basil in most recipes that
most of their time in the fi eld and forest gathering green
call for the latter. >>>
medicines. Their knowledge was valuable, and they
passed it down from generation to generation. We are for-
tunate indeed because we have the opportunity to reap the
benefi t from the accumulated herbal wisdom from the past.
Luckily for us, our ancestors discovered many healing herbs
simply by trial and error. They learned the hard way that some
plants heal while others harm. We'll never know how or what
possessed them to brew a pot of tea from leaves and berries,
but it is nonetheless remarkable.
Herbal medicine is the oldest form of health care known
to mankind. Herbs had been used by all cultures throughout
history and all cultures possess herbal remedies based on the
herbs and plants in their geographic area. Many synthetic
medicines on the market today owe their existence to natural
occurring herbs, plants and trees. The original pain killer mar-
keted just a little over 100 years ago is a derivative of White
Willow Bark; what is its name? Aspirin. Our knowledge of
the history of all of the healing herbs are derived from four
major traditions: 1) Chinese, 2) Ayurvedic (in India), 3) Euro-
pean (this includes Egyptian) and last but certainly not least 4)
American Indian.
In India, the herb Tulsi also called Holy Basil (sometimes
spelled "Tulasi") has been widely known for its health-promot-
ing and medicinal value for thousands of years. Commonly
called sacred or Holy Basil, it is a principal herb of Ayurveda,
the ancient traditional holistic health system of India. Herbs
lie at the very heart of Ayurvedic practice and Holy Basil is
known as "The Incomparable One," "The Mother Medicine of
Nature," and "The Queen of Herbs." Holy Basil is so remark-
able and has so many potential applications that it is not sur-
MAY 2009
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