Africa

African Basil

Ocimum gratissimum.

Leaf.

Part Used

Fresh, torn or shredded; occasionally dried.

Form

Efinrin (Yoruba); nchanwu (Igbo); scent leaf (common Nigerian English name).

Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, broader West Africa.

Pungent, clove-and-pepper forward, more assertive than sweet (Italian) basil.

Aromatic finishing herb for soups and grilled meat; folk-medicinal tea.

Nigerian pepper soup; Edo black soup (omoebe); asun (spicy grilled goat) seasoning.

Uziza leaf, bitter leaf, crayfish, chile.

Add fresh at the very end of cooking – heat quickly dulls its sharp clove-like aroma.

Fresh leaves keep only a few days refrigerated; best used promptly.

Holy basil (Thai/Indian tulsi, a related Ocimum species) is the closest substitute in aroma.

Commonly called 'scent leaf' in Nigerian English, a name reflecting its powerful, immediately identifiable aroma.

Not a dry blend component; used fresh.