Cinnamon Basil
Key Facts
- Ideal for Mexican or South American recipes
- Takes about 2 to 3 months to grow
- Seeds are available from Amazon
Grow at home as an ingredient ?
Ideal for Mexican or South American recipe, with a very spicy, fragrant aroma and flavor
Can be very difficult to get in shops but easy to grow at home.
Background
- Cinnamon basil (also called sweet Mexican basil) is probably originally from China or India but very much linked to Mexico.
- Very spicy, fragrant aroma and flavor.
- Ideal for Central American Dishes.
- Days from seed to harvest – about 70 (2 to 3 months)
- About 75 to 100 cm high
Example Cinnamon Basil recipes.
This is the ideal herb to grow if you like cooking Central American Dishes. For example Mexican or South American
It is also known as Mexican spice basil, has a spicy, fragrant aroma and flavor. It can be used not only in pastas & salads but also in cookies, pies and even ice cream.
Typical recipes:
How to grow Cinnamon basil at home
This basil is ideally suited for planting outside in a pot on a balcony or terrace or inside on a sunny windowsill (or using lighting)
It loves warm very sunny conditions and hates cold draughts. If you want to grow basil in soil then:
- Sow thinly into soil at a depth of 6mm
- Will germinate in 12 to 40 days
- Thin the seedlings or transplant leaving 38 cm between plants
Growing Basil using Hydroponics or Aquaponics
It is one of the most popular herbs to grow using hydroponics – as it will be ready to be harvested quicker than planted in soil.
But in addition it is ideal for aquaponics – especially because it loves nitrogen. In addition, whether using hydroponics or aquaponics you will be able to grow it all year around – providing you with fresh herbs when you want it.
Quick summary
- This type of basil has a spicy, fragrant aroma and flavor. It contains methyl cinnamate, the same chemical that gives cinnamon its flavour.
- It requires six to eight hours of bright sunlight per day. Although it is often grown as an annual, it is a perennial in USDA plant hardiness zones 9-11. Cinnamon basil is sometimes planted near tomatoes and roses to discourage pests such as whiteflies.
- It has somewhat narrow, slightly serrated, dark green, shiny leaves with reddish-purple veins, which can resemble certain types of mint, and produces small, pink flowers from July to September. Its stems are dark purple. Cinnamon basil grows to 18-30 inches tall.
Our product rating
We rated the 8 most popular basil types on the best variety to grow for cooking at home.
Cinnamon Basil
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 further up the page.
Cinnamon basil seeds are available from Amazon
Lovely flavour and well worth growing