Basil is a key ingredient in many recipes.
However the best basil for cooking will depend on 3 items:
- The variety of basil you use
- Whether you use dried, fresh or homegrown basil
- How easy it is to get your basil types.
The 8 Basil types we rated for growing at home are as follows:
- Cinnamon Basil – score 5 (out of 5)
- Lemon Basil – score 4.8
- Holy Basil – score 4.7
- Red Rubin Basil – score 4.5
- Thai Basil – score 4.3
- Genovese Basil – score 4.3
- Minette Basil – score 3.7
The 8 Best Basil types
Please find below our comparison – there is more info further down the page on the rating system we used.
Genovese Basil
Ideal for Italian, French or Greek recipes and very easy to grow.
If you want to grow it then the seeds available from Amazon
The Chef’s Gardener
Grow at home because not available in shops
Summary
This type of Basil is great for cooking and lovely to grow if you have the space. For more details have a look at the example Genovese basil recipes.
However it is probably the easiest basil variety to buy fresh in shops which is why we haven’t given it top marks.
Thai Basil
Ideal for Thai, Laos or Vietnamese Recipes, with the standard basil flavour combined with a strong liquorice and anise flavour.
If you want to grow it then the seeds are available from Amazon
The Chef’s Gardener
Grow at home because not available in shops
Summary
This is just about our own favourite basil, with a great flavour. It is easy to grow however it’s also available in lots of shops.
If you are using basil do consider this one – more details on how to use it at our example basil recipes
Cinnamon Basil
Ideal for Mexican or South American recipe, with a very spicy, fragrant aroma and flavor.
Well worth growing at home – with the seeds available from Amazon.
The Chef’s Gardener
Grow at home because not available in shops
Summary
Also know as Mexican spice basil this is well worth using. Can be very difficult to get in shops but easy to grow.
For more information on how to use it have a look at the example cinnamon basil recipes
Lemon Basil
Ideal for South Asian or North East African Dishes. Very intense citrus (lemony) aroma.
If you want to grow it then the seeds are available from Amazon
The Chef’s Gardener
Grow at home because not available in shops
Summary
The unique flavour of lemon basil is a must. In addition a key benefit is that it can be used in many different ways – for example eaten raw with a salad, used to season many cooked dishes or even used in sweet dessert.
We use it in very many recipes, for examples have a look at the example lemon basil recipes.
Holy Basil
Ideal to grow if you like cooking spicy Thai dishes. Also called Tulasi basil it has a very peppery flavour – often called hot basil.
If you want to grow it then the seeds are available from Amazon
The Chef’s Gardener
Grow at home because not available in shops
Summary
This is a great basil if you like spicy dishes – but please note it is different from Thai Basil and a lot more peppery. For more details have a look at example Holy Basil recipes.
Fresh Holy basil is not available in many shops which is why it’s the ideal type to grow at home.
Minette Basil
Often used for pizzas but great in pasta and salads. Small leaved with lots of flavour.
If you want to grow it then the seeds are available from Amazon (usually in basil different variety boxes)
The Chef’s Gardener
Grow at home because not available in shops
Summary
Minette Basil is easy to grow and has a stronger flavour than most basils sold in shops. However there are better options you could try – for example for examples have a look at the example minette basil recipes.
Red Rubin Basil
Ideal for tomato dishes, salads and especially great in cocktails. Stronger than regular basil with striking red colour.
Fun to grow and looks great. Seeds are available from Amazon
The Chef’s Gardener
Grow at home because not available in shops
Summary
It is often used in recipes like Basil Pesto, but when using it simply use less than other basil types (unless you like a strong basil flavour). For more information have a look at the example Red Rubin Basil recipes.
Lettuce leaf basil
Often used for sandwiches, pesto and salads it has very large leaves with a nice subtle basil flavour.
If you want to grow it then the seeds are available on Amazon
The Chef’s Gardener
Grow at home because not available in shops
Summary
This type of basil has a lovely flavour, and great as a substitute for normal lettuce.
It is not available in many shops but not that hard to grow at home.
For more info and examples of how we use it have a look at the example lettuce basil recipes
Cooking or growing at home?
The different basil types all have their own unique flavour, and the type you use will be linked to what you are cooking.
In our rating below we have included a score for the flavour of the basil types. But in addition we have also included how easy it is to get fresh types in shops.
Below you will find our comparison information & why we ranked them in this order:
For example Thai basil is one of our favourite ingredients but came quite low in our rating for growing at home.
The best Basil for cooking & growing at home
Below is our comparison of the different varieties of basil.
How we rated each type
We firmly believe that basil grown at home has some major advantages – not only in that it will have the best possible flavour but also that will allow you to grow varieties not always available in shops.
However, in our rating we have not only included the flavour they add, but also how difficult they are to grow.
Please note… The Basil seed or plant cost is only an estimate based on the latest time we checked, follow the links for today’s cost.
The best basil for cooking & growing at home
Hopefully our guide will help you decide on what type of basil to grow at home.
For more information have a look at different basil types
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