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Is that Holy Basil on the right?
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Is that Holy Basil on the right?


Hi Toronto foodies! Hoping for some help on a herb ID.

I’ve been buying the basil on the right, as I know it’s Thai basil. After seeing multiple posts over the years of people trying to track down Holy Basil with little luck, I just assumed it wasn’t really available in Toronto.

But is that herb on the right actually Holy Basil?!

For years I figured it was maybe some kind of mint based on the leaves, but the stem actually looks pretty similar to the Thai basil?

by chasingtravel

19 Comments

  3. sapphire74__

    On the left is Thai Basil! The right looks like mint. I haven’t seen holy Basil here in the supermarkets, just regular Thai Basil.

  4. Reddsterbator

    umm, the thai basil is on the left.

    edit:: i think you’ve been cooking with mint

    edit edit:: the dead give away for thai basil is the purple stems, and the mint give away is the “scales” on the leaves(those pronounced vein structures)

  7. whateverfyou

    Left is Thai basil. It’s in the mint family. They all have square stems.

  8. WAHNFRIEDEN

    I wouldn’t buy “cooking only” items, that likely means they were grown in soil with contaminants that are unsafe to consume. You can buy holy basil next door from Kensington Fruit Market for a similar price

  9. tangjams

    Holy basil has much more jagged edges compared to Thai basil.

  10. Clair1126

    Right is mint, left is Thai basil. I haven’t found holy basil in the stores I’ve looked. I find Italian basil closer substitute to the holy basil though if you’re looking for that substitute.

  11. DriveSlowHomie

    I’ve been told that Italian basil is closer in flavour to holy basil than Thai basil is

  12. moo422

    You can find Holy Mail 6 in South Asian stores labeled tulasi or tulsi

  13. TimaTomical

    Frankly, that might be THB on the right… but a store in East Chinatown carries it from time to time: Yao Hua supermarket, and note that the specialty produce section of the store is in a separate building just east of the Yao Hua store proper.
    Grab what you need ( great variety, price and quality) in that area and pay for it inside Yao Hua.
    Good luck!

  14. Educational_Switch_3

    I don’t know. Has it been blessed?

  17. ST0PITRIGHTN0W

    Thai purple —which is different from holy!

  18. PlatonisSapientia

    Today I learned that there are different types of basil. Does one taste better?

  19. langong

    the 2 on the left eat with Pho, the 2 on the right can be rolled in spingroll with shrimp and porc belly

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