Basil: the kitchen herb with a clove-like twist in perfume

Where does basil come from?

Basil belongs to the mint family, Lamiaceae, and is native to tropical and subtropical Asia, from India and Sri Lanka to south-eastern China and northern Australia. The name comes from the Greek basilikón phytón, meaning royal or kingly plant, possibly because it was believed to have been used to make royal perfumes, as the botanical profile of basil recounts.

How is basil oil made?

Basil essential oil is steam-distilled from the flowering tops of the plant, mainly in India, Bulgaria, Pakistan, North Africa and Egypt. Its make-up shifts with the season, the strain and the place it grows. Growers also watch the flowers: once a stem flowers, essential oil production on that stem declines, so they pinch off flower stems to keep leaves coming.

What does basil smell like?

Basils smell different from one another because their aromatic compounds vary by cultivar. European basil oil contains high levels of linalool and methyl chavicol, also called estragole, in a ratio of about 3 to 1, plus 1,8-cineole, eugenol and myrcene; the clove scent of sweet basil comes from eugenol. To train your nose, crush a kitchen basil leaf and compare it with a clove, an exercise in the spirit of the Class on training your nose.

What does basil do in a fragrance?

Basil sits on the aromatic side of the fougère family and works well with citrus: in 1966, Eau Sauvage put basil in its top notes with lemon and bergamot. Worth knowing: basil's aroma profile includes methyl eugenol, which the EU Cosmetic Products Regulation caps at 0.01% in fine fragrance, and linalool, a fragrance allergen that must be named on labels.