African basil

Ocimum gratissimum

herb

Large leaves smelling of clove and thyme, tossed in at the end of cooking in pepper soup, stews and sauces of West Africa.

Origin

Tropical Africa and India

Season (United States)

all year round

Preparation

The leaves are stripped, rinsed and added whole or chopped to the dish for the last five minutes; the tough stems are removed.

Molecules

In small amounts, not counted Rosmarinic acid · Lutein and zeaxanthin · Chlorophyll

Did you know?

In Nigeria it is called efirin, nchanwu or daidoya depending on the language: everywhere, it is the pepper soup leaf.