ANY viand that counts in tomato as ingredient can be zinged up with basil— as ancients have it, the plant negates evil intentions… and repels insect pests, say, Aedes aegypti or the dreaded dengue-carrier.
Basil— balanoy, albahaka in Tagalog—perks up salsa and pasta. Like the demonized tobacco, basil leaves and flowers are acceptable as offering to Krishna, uh, what’s a name, you can also call Him Yahweh, Jove, Ama, Allah or Amaterazu o Kami... such offering is often requited with boons not too palpable—safety of the household, inner strength and good luck. The leaves bring relief to colic, stomachache, and toothache.
Basil is grown at the eastern portion of the home or at the left side of the house’s main door to allow ambient breezes to swill out the plant’s insect-repellent bio-chemicals.
Full-grown basil and seedlings can be bought at Manila Seedling Bank Foundation plant stores at that spread of green over EDSA and Quezon Avenue in Quezon City; at the Bureau of Plant I...
Prizewinning Filipino writer's musings, written in English and Tagalog-based Filipino.