Boycott ... BAN ... Blue Spice Basil

travis · February 6, 2006

Blue Spice Basil, a hybrid, is the absolute worst basil I have ever grown.

It is a very healthy cultivar and actually very appealing visually with medium/light green foliage and fuzzy wuzzy stems. It'll grow in pots or in the ground about equally as well and is not one of those that tries to crowd out its neighbors ... just enjoys its own space. It's basically bug-proof here.

But the aroma from the fresh plant is nauseating and the taste is beyond funky. The only thing I could think to do with it was dry it out and use it for making the garage smell better as the dried stuff didn't have that nauseating stink.

Anyone else had a better experience?

PV

**nctomatoman** · February 6, 2006

Wondering if it is the same as African Blue basil - a sterile hybrid that is available from cuttings only. It is a beautiful plant, but not at all edible!

travis · February 6, 2006

Craig,

It's said to be a cross between a purple basil and lemon basil. At home I have a herb catalog that gives the latin names of the two suspects, but as usual, the catalog I need is not where I am.

Anyway, it doesn't look like either purple or lemon basil to me. It is not at all purple except its blossoms are a bit lavendar or blue. And I can't figure where the fuzziness comes from.

It's edible ... if you can stomach the sickenly sweet funky taste. I think maybe it could be used with other Asian spices and herbs for something to put on fruit like melons maybe. It's definitely an Asian taste profile gone crazy.

But straight up it's just too much ... kinda like eating cilantro leaves straight ... just too overpowering and funky.

PV

johno · February 23, 2007

I got some African Blue basil from a cutting. Seems like I heard it was a hybrid of Camphor basil and some other type... I don't know. It sounds like what you are describing, but I like eating it and making tea with it.

February 6, 2006	#1
travis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Evansville, IN Posts: 2,984	Boycott ... BAN ... Blue Spice Basil Blue Spice Basil, a hybrid, is the absolute worst basil I have ever grown. It is a very healthy cultivar and actually very appealing visually with medium/light green foliage and fuzzy wuzzy stems. It'll grow in pots or in the ground about equally as well and is not one of those that tries to crowd out its neighbors ... just enjoys its own space. It's basically bug-proof here. But the aroma from the fresh plant is nauseating and the taste is beyond funky. The only thing I could think to do with it was dry it out and use it for making the garage smell better as the dried stuff didn't have that nauseating stink. Anyone else had a better experience? PV

February 6, 2006	#2
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	Wondering if it is the same as African Blue basil - a sterile hybrid that is available from cuttings only. It is a beautiful plant, but not at all edible! __________________ Craig

February 23, 2007	#4
johno Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Arkansas zone 6b Posts: 441	I got some African Blue basil from a cutting. Seems like I heard it was a hybrid of Camphor basil and some other type... I don't know. It sounds like what you are describing, but I like eating it and making tea with it.