Can "Regular" Basil be used in Thai Cooking?

If you are asking this question, you're most likely contemplating the cooking of Thai food at home and noticed that Thai basil is quite hard to find. If you are, good for you! Cooking Thai food is not only exciting and delicious, but it's also quite healthful. So, are all basils created equal or more specifically, can regular basil be used instead of Thai basil?

Yes, and no. But first, let's define the two major basils that will be discussed in this article. The common, "regular" basil is actually called sweet basil and is commonly used in European and American cooking (think Italian food). It has hints of licorice, tarragon, is somewhat sweet and is very easy to find in any grocery store.

The much more rare, but positively delectable, Thai basil that is essential in some dishes is actually known as holy basil. The name in Thai is roughly translated to latin charaters as kraphao, gkaphrow or more easily said ka-prow. It's characterized by a purple-green color and carries a spicy, peppermint flavor.

So, to answer the question, "Can sweet basil replace the hard-to-find holy basil?" It depends on the dish and if it requires the sweet, licorice flavor (sweet basil) or the spicy, peppermint flavor (holy basil). For some dishes, like anything with ka-prow in the name, it's easy to know if holy basil is needed. Remember, ka-prow means "holy basil", so if it's in the name, you can guarantee the dish will need it to taste authentic. Some more dishes like pad ped, pad kee moa also require this herb.

Other dishes, like red and green curry, can be made with common sweet basil without dramatically altering the taste of the dish. This is because a Thai version of sweet basil is usually used for these dishes. It's known as Thai sweet basil or horapha.

So, how do you find this holy of all basils? Well, you can most definitely try your local Asian markets or your higher-end grocery stores like Whole Foods or Central Market. Just look for the purplish or reddish stem and you've found it. If you can't find it, you can always grow it yourself.

Many years ago, Opart became tired of struggling to find a supplier for this herb, so he started his own organic garden and now grows it himself. Unfortunately, he can only grow it in the summer, so in the winter, it's back to hunting down this hard-to-find basil.

Well, now that you are a basil expert, go forth and make some amazing Thai food. And the next time you're in the restaurant, let us know how your adventures into Thai cooking are turning out.