Basil is so ubiquitous in Italian cuisine one might think it has been used in recipes forever. Instead, the culinary virtues of this tantalizing plant were discovered only 200 years ago. Although basil has been around since ancient times, it was mostly used as an ornamental or curative herb.

The ancient Greeks and Romans believed it was toxic and avoided it, while in medieval times it was grown by nuns in convents to be used in medicinal concoctions. During the crusades, soldiers and sailors returning from the Middle East would fill up their ships with the delicate plant to repel a variety of insects.