english: basil
mandarin: jiu ceng ta
vietnamese: rau hung que
basil is a leafy, fragrant herb used in cuisines all over the world. there are several different kinds of basil, and they all taste slightly different, but they are basically interchangeable. the most commonly used variety is called "sweet basil," and is probably the best choice for most of the recipes on this website.
all the recipes on this website call for fresh basil; the dried, crushed kind is not a close substitute. fresh basil goes sour after only a few days. if you're cooking with it, remove the stems first; if you're serving it raw to accompany pho, leave the stems on and let everyone pluck the leaves themselves as they eat.
related links:
basil (gernot katzer's spice dictionary)
vietnamese herb primer (viet world kitchen)
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