Napolitan Lettuce Leaf Basil

The Lettuce-Leaf Basil’ has large leaves with a strong basil flavour. The traditional cultivar is often used to make Pesto. Basil is a perennial plant in the tropics, but it is frost tender and needs to be grown as a half-hardy annual in temperate zones.

Used as a flavouring or as a spinach, they are used especially with tomato dishes, pasta sauces, beans, peppers and aubergines. The leaves are normally used fresh, but can also be dried for use during winter. A very pleasant addition to salads, the leaves have a delightful scent of cloves.