Common names: basil, French basil, or sweet basil (English); basilic (French); basilikum, basilienkraut (German); tulsi (Indian); basilico (Italian); albahaca (Spanish); Raihan (Arabic).

Latin name: Ocimum basilicum L

Family: Lamiaceae (Labiatae)

Basil is cultivated commercially for its green, aromatic leaves, which are used fresh or dried as a flavoring or spice. The essential oil and oleoresin are extracted from the leaves and flowering tops via steam distillation and used in place of the dried leaves for flavoring purposes.

The common sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum), with its several types and varieties, is an annual aromatic plant, widely grown because of its pleasant spicy odor and taste. There are large and dwarf types with green, purple, or variegated leaves, some of which are ornamental. Both the leaves and the essential oils distilled from the flowering plants are used as flavoring agents.