One of the reasons Italian food tastes so good is the liberal use of delicious, fresh herbs. Let’s look at the three most popular Italian herbs and how to best use them in your cooking.
Italian Basil (Basillico) is probably Italy’s best-known herb. There are lots of different kinds of basil, but the type used in Italian food is a lot sweetener and has a delicious aroma. Be careful you don’t confuse it with Thai basil, which looks very similar but has a much stronger anise flavour.
Basil is best friends with tomatoes, because its sweetness balances the acidity. Add some fresh buffalo mazorella and not only have you just made the famous Caprese salad, but you’ve also just created a beautiful dish in the colours of the Italian flag… You can’t get more Italian than that!
If you’re not a fan of basil, you can generally replace it with parsley, although the flavour will be different.
Bay Leaf (Alloro) is another quitessential Italian herb and is generally used to impart flavour and aroma to slow-cooked dishes, then removed before serving because of its unpleasant texture. Fresh bay leaves are quite mild and do not develop their full flavour until several weeks after picking and drying. They work beautifully in pasta sauces, soups, stews or marinades.
Because of their strong aroma, bay leaves can also be used outside of the kitchen as a moth repellent, aromatherapy blend or herbal potpourri (to give your clothes a fresh woody scent).
Look for bay leaves that are matte olive green in colour and avoid brown or yellow leaves, which have less flavour.
Parsley (Prezzemolo) is the unheralded star of Italian cooking. Basil may get all the attention, but parsley is more widely used. You can get flat-leaf varieties or curly-leaf varieties, which have a milder flavour. Parsley is best served fresh, so add it to your dishes during the last few minutes of cooking or sprinkle it on top before serving.
Because Italian cuisine relies so heavily on fresh herbs, don’t settle for buying the dried alternative. It may be cheaper, but it won’t give you that delicious aroma or flavour we all love and associate with Italian cuisine.
Happy cooking!
