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where can I get Thai Basil?

where can I get Thai Basil?
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  • where can I get Thai Basil?

    Post #1 - June 23rd, 2005, 3:22 pm
    Post #1 - June 23rd, 2005, 3:22 pm Post #1 - June 23rd, 2005, 3:22 pm
    Anyone know where I can get the same basil they use in most thai dishes? Its for sure not the same as regular Jewel/Dominicks basil.

    Would the Japanese markets have the same basil used in Thai cooking?
  • Post #2 - June 23rd, 2005, 3:28 pm
    Post #2 - June 23rd, 2005, 3:28 pm Post #2 - June 23rd, 2005, 3:28 pm
    Henry's Farm at the Evanston Farmers' Market, usually has it.
  • Post #3 - June 23rd, 2005, 3:30 pm
    Post #3 - June 23rd, 2005, 3:30 pm Post #3 - June 23rd, 2005, 3:30 pm
    Usually, all of the grocery stores along Argyle carry Thai Basi; however, I would try the Thai Grocery first at Broadway and Argyle.

    You can probably find Thai Basil at several farmers markets, as it has GROWN in popularity.

    pd
    Unchain your lunch money!
  • Post #4 - June 23rd, 2005, 3:58 pm
    Post #4 - June 23rd, 2005, 3:58 pm Post #4 - June 23rd, 2005, 3:58 pm
    It may be marked as holy basil in some places. The grocery stores in the argyle/broadway area (including Thai grocer) sell them in bags.
  • Post #5 - June 23rd, 2005, 4:00 pm
    Post #5 - June 23rd, 2005, 4:00 pm Post #5 - June 23rd, 2005, 4:00 pm
    It is also easily pot grown--I purchased from Home Depot.
  • Post #6 - June 23rd, 2005, 4:15 pm
    Post #6 - June 23rd, 2005, 4:15 pm Post #6 - June 23rd, 2005, 4:15 pm
    It may be "marked" as holy basil, but they are two different herbs. Apparently, they are confused quite regularly...see this site:

    http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com/ingredients/basilh.html

    That's what we get for trying to foist our English names on various ingrediants :roll:

    Basil, comes from the same root as Basilica.
    Unchain your lunch money!
  • Post #7 - June 23rd, 2005, 5:26 pm
    Post #7 - June 23rd, 2005, 5:26 pm Post #7 - June 23rd, 2005, 5:26 pm
    I may be wrong, and I don't remember what the label on the bag was, but a few months ago at Thai grocer I picked up a bag of what I thought was holy basil (Ocimum sanctum). It had slightly purplish leaves (as pictured here)
    (Co)incidentally, about two weeks ago, at a Home Depot, we picked up "Siam Queen basil" (pictured in link above) and "Sweet basil"* (not pictured in link above) plants. In addition to the common names, both were marked Ocimum basilicum.

    As far as Thai cooking goes (and I'm barely a dabbler), I think both holy and thai basil would be fine. The link in pdaane's post above does mention about holy basil, "...it is worth seeking as its unique flavor is heavenly, making it the beloved basil among Thai people. It gives several of the seafood dishes in this book their magical qualities."

    *The leaves look like those of "Genovese basil", which we'd grown two years ago from seeds marked as such. I also notice slight purplish regions in some leaves of the Siam Queen basil (but not as much as in holy basil)
    Last edited by sazerac on July 8th, 2005, 2:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
  • Post #8 - June 23rd, 2005, 6:00 pm
    Post #8 - June 23rd, 2005, 6:00 pm Post #8 - June 23rd, 2005, 6:00 pm
    I believe both Thai Basil and Holy Basil are used in Thai dishes, although Holy Basil has a sharper pepper, licorice and mint flavor.

    There are more than 150 varieties of basil, not surprising given that it is in the Lamiaceae (Mint family), an easily hybridized (not sure if that is the correct word) family.

    pd
    Unchain your lunch money!
  • Post #9 - June 23rd, 2005, 9:19 pm
    Post #9 - June 23rd, 2005, 9:19 pm Post #9 - June 23rd, 2005, 9:19 pm
    From a gardening perspective, I would say "prolific" is the right word.

    Creeping Charlie is in that family. Mint family is fairly easily identified by having squar(ish) stems.
  • Post #10 - June 24th, 2005, 8:58 am
    Post #10 - June 24th, 2005, 8:58 am Post #10 - June 24th, 2005, 8:58 am
    Thanks guys for all the usefull replys and tips. I will check out the thai shop on Broadway for my basil.
  • Post #11 - August 22nd, 2022, 10:32 pm
    Post #11 - August 22nd, 2022, 10:32 pm Post #11 - August 22nd, 2022, 10:32 pm
    HI,

    Today at Jerry's Fruit Market in Niles, I saw they now offer Thai Basil as well as regular Basil for 99 cents. I bought one of each with the intentions to use Thai Basil for the last of my COPI.

    Regards,
    CAthy2
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #12 - August 23rd, 2022, 12:36 pm
    Post #12 - August 23rd, 2022, 12:36 pm Post #12 - August 23rd, 2022, 12:36 pm
    Available every day at Richwell Market on Dempster and Super H-Mart at Oakton & Waukegan. Pricing fluctuates.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #13 - August 23rd, 2022, 3:20 pm
    Post #13 - August 23rd, 2022, 3:20 pm Post #13 - August 23rd, 2022, 3:20 pm
    Pricing may vary - but it is super cheap at Richwell.
  • Post #14 - August 23rd, 2022, 4:24 pm
    Post #14 - August 23rd, 2022, 4:24 pm Post #14 - August 23rd, 2022, 4:24 pm
    Maybe not exactly what you’re looking for, but Sketchbook Brewing’s Honeybird pale ale is made with That Holy Basil.
  • Post #15 - March 24th, 2023, 4:01 pm
    Post #15 - March 24th, 2023, 4:01 pm Post #15 - March 24th, 2023, 4:01 pm
    Not Thai basil, but...

    I needed regular ( Italian ? ) basil today - I would have accepted Thai basil, but Richwell Market was inconvenient for me today. The basil at the markets I usually shop at is currently ridiculously expensive. I needed other items at Carnicerias Jimenez in Wheeling and looked into a case before the produce that I had not looked into before. Lots of fresh basil at a VERY reasonable price. It was not the best quality, but there were several packages and I picked the best looking. When I got home, it was fine.
  • Post #16 - March 24th, 2023, 5:44 pm
    Post #16 - March 24th, 2023, 5:44 pm Post #16 - March 24th, 2023, 5:44 pm
    lougord99 wrote:Not Thai basil, but...

    I needed regular ( Italian ? ) basil today - I would have accepted Thai basil, but Richwell Market was inconvenient for me today. The basil at the markets I usually shop at is currently ridiculously expensive. I needed other items at Carnicerias Jimenez in Wheeling and looked into a case before the produce that I had not looked into before. Lots of fresh basil at a VERY reasonable price. It was not the best quality, but there were several packages and I picked the best looking. When I got home, it was fine.

    …in shrink wrapped trays across the aisle from cilantro, parsley, herba Santa…
    If you aren't tasting, you aren't cooking.
  • Post #17 - March 24th, 2023, 5:48 pm
    Post #17 - March 24th, 2023, 5:48 pm Post #17 - March 24th, 2023, 5:48 pm
    lougord99 wrote:Not Thai basil, but...

    I needed regular ( Italian ? ) basil today - I would have accepted Thai basil, but Richwell Market was inconvenient for me today. The basil at the markets I usually shop at is currently ridiculously expensive. I needed other items at Carnicerias Jimenez in Wheeling and looked into a case before the produce that I had not looked into before. Lots of fresh basil at a VERY reasonable price. It was not the best quality, but there were several packages and I picked the best looking. When I got home, it was fine.

    I also pick it up there…in shrink wrapped plastic trays across from the Mexican herbs.
    If you aren't tasting, you aren't cooking.
  • Post #18 - March 24th, 2023, 8:27 pm
    Post #18 - March 24th, 2023, 8:27 pm Post #18 - March 24th, 2023, 8:27 pm
    Woodman's has live Thai basil plants in small pots (pretty decent-size plants, easily a healthy bunch) for about $3 in a display near the cut herbs.
  • Post #19 - March 25th, 2023, 10:28 am
    Post #19 - March 25th, 2023, 10:28 am Post #19 - March 25th, 2023, 10:28 am
    H-Mart Niles has Thai Basil for nice quality consistently.

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