Holy Basil (Tulsi)
Native to South and Southeast Asia, holy basil is an herb with important cultural and religious significance. In other parts of the world, this herb is most familiar as a common flavor in Thai food, but it is a sacred plant for Hindus. You can enjoy this fragrant, tasty, and medicinal herb right in your own garden.
Watering
Keep it watered but not soggy and harvest leaves as needed, just as you would with an ordinary sweet basil plant.
Soil
Use a light, well-draining soil that is enriched with organic material, although holy basil will tolerate poor soil fairly well. Your plant will also tolerate some shade, so full sun is not necessary.
Harvesting
Harvest leaves as needed, just as you would with an ordinary sweet basil plant.
Medical Uses
There is some evidence that it is effective in treating and relieving certain symptoms. Holy basil is used for nausea and other stomach ailments, to reduce inflammation, to promote relaxation and alleviate stress, and to relieve headaches, toothaches, ear aches, joint pain, cold and flu symptoms, and fevers.
Recipes
You can use it in any way that you would use sweet basil: in sauces, salads, stir fries, chicken dishes, pastas, and more. Holy basil’s flavor is spicier than that of sweet basil.