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The Gauls cultivated basil in July/August until it was in bloom. Even the Gauls thought basil was a sacred plant, so much so that its leaves were harvested only by those who had followed a complex ritual of purification. Later, thanks to these aphrodisiac characteristics, it became the true symbol of lovers. The famous Roman naturalist Pliny was convinced that the seeds of the basil, and not the leaves, were powerful aphrodisiacs in some areas, even today, farmers make donkeys and horses eat it during the reproductive period to increase their sexual strength. Roseroot, an ancient remedy for fatigue and disease, gets new respectĪ painting by William Waterhouse, Enchanted garden ( Public Domain ) A Herb for Lovers.Ancient Chinese herbal remedy may be solution for chronic pain.Making Medieval Magic: Countering Infections and Poison with Nine Potent Herbs.It really is true, in fact, if we try to cut the basil leaves with a knife, due to oxidation, they immediately become black, so the ingredient should only be chopped by hand. Some authors argued that it should not be severed with iron tools because the metal would undo all its qualities. Among the Romans it was considered a magical and sacred plant to Venus, like many other fragrant herbs, to be harvested following precise rituals. The Greeks and Romans believed that, to grow a healthy seedling, it was necessary to sow it, accompanying the operation with insults and curses, but to speak of the basil more seriously was the Roman writer Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella, who explains how the basil is a plant to sow in abundance "after the Ides of May until the summer solstice". Basil seems to have originated in India and was brought to the West by the merchants of spices the Egyptians, the Greeks and the Romans were already aware of its flavors and healing properties. The name derives from the Greek "basilikos", which means "herb worthy of a king", as mentioned by the Greek philosopher and botanist Theophrastus, in the 3rd century BC. ( CC0 ) Ancient Superstitions Regarding Basil Basil (Ocimum basilicus) is an annual herbaceous plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family, and is easily recognized by the shape of its lanceolate leaves that vary from pale green to intense green to violet or purple of some varieties. Fragrant and delicate with its green leaves it manages to tantalize the most demanding palates, it is basil.
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In Mediterranean cuisine it is the symbol of summer and its origins are lost in the mists of time.