Cinnamon basil is a type of basil cultivar containing the compound methyl cinnamate which is responsible for its vibrant aromatic cinnamon fragrance. The herb has generally similar applications to the more common genovese basil. Also known as Mexican basil, cinnamon basil is a fully edible plant whose leaves and flowers can be used in a variety of recipe preparations. Apart from culinary applications, the plant is also cultivated for essential oil extraction as well as for ornamental purposes due to its large good looking leaves.
What is Cinnamon Basil
Cinnamon basil is a type of sweet basil and is one of over a dozen basil varieties. Examples of other basil varieties are Dark Opal basil, Lemon basil, Holy basil, Spicy Bush basil and Lime basil. Cinnamon is botanically classified as Ocimum basilicum. It belongs to the mint or lamiaceae family. Being native to Mexico, its other names are Mexican basil or Mexican spice basil. As stated earlier, cinnamon basil contains the chemical compound methyl cinnamate, which is responsible for the cinnamon fragrance and flavor.
It is often asked, is cinnamon basil edible? The short answer is, it is popular because it is edible. The herb is applicable for enriching use in different culinary preparations (see recipes section). Nonetheless, in a similar fashion as white eggplant and pimento peppers, for example, cinnamon basil can also be used for ornamental purposes.
Characteristics of Cinnamon Basil
Cinnamon basil plant has a similar outlook just as the more common genovese basil. It grows as tall as 100cm. Its leaves are wide dark green looking, glossy, elongated with pointed ends, flat with reddish-purple looking veins and release the cinnamon scent when touched. The stems of the herb have a lighter color but also have traces of purple to them.
Pertaining flavor, the herb has a spicy-sweet flavor brought about by a combination of methyl cinnamate and the regular basil flavor. The spicy-sweet flavor is a charm for salads, flour based products, jams, oils and vinegars as a flavoring.
In a similar fashion as regular basil, the cinnamon variety of basil also produces flowers in summer or under very warm conditions, a process also known as bolting. Most home gardeners are unaware that basil flowers are edible. The flowers are small, lavender, white to pink in color and have culinary applications. When grown as a companion plant, cinnamon basil is an effective repellent of pests such as mites and aphids that attack other plants.
This basil herb is a cut-and-come-again plant. Once the flowers or leaves are harvested they grow again facilitating on-going harvesting. In a similar fashion as the cucumber (the more cucumbers you harvest, the more they are produced), harvesting of the cinnamon leaves encourages the production of more leaves creating a prolific bush plant.
Cinnamon Basil Benefits
It is frequently asked, what are the benefits of cinnamon basil? There are health benefits and non health benefits associated with this basil cultivar. As earlier mentioned, as a non-health benefit, Mexican basil is effective as a pest repellent. It is said in medieval times the plant was used on windows to discourage flies coming indoors.
However, the main interest in the herb tends to be health related. A 2020 study published in the journal Antioxidants showed that cinnamon basil offers some human health benefits.
In particular, the herb was shown to have anti-inflammatory properties linked to the present phenolic acids. According to the journal Biotechnology Reports, phenolic acids prevent cell damage in humans that is caused by the activity of free-radicals. The acids are absorbed through the intestinal tract and used by the body to prevent cancer and inflammation.
Furthermore, cinnamon basil has been linked to beneficial relief from the effects of arthritis. Folklore has also supported the claim that there are further benefits to be derived from cinnamon basil in the face of allergies, infertility, high blood sugar and weak immune systems.
According to Healthline, cinnamon in general has some tremendous health benefits as extracted from certain tree barks. These include reduced risk of heart disease, by lowering bad cholesterol levels. Cinnamon is also thought to increase sensitivity to the hormone insulin which is an important hormone regarding blood sugar regulation. This article, looks in detail about potential cinnamon benefits.
Delicious Cinnamon Basil Recipes
The main application of cinnamon basil by home growers is culinary. This basil variety can be tried in just about any recipe preparation that calls on traditional genovese basil. Try it in pestos, different kinds of pastes, desserts and salads. When ground up with sugar, cinnamon basil can be applied in a variety of dessert oriented applications such as on ice-creams creating delicious outcomes.
According to the University of Vermont Department of Plant and Soil Science, the most flavor out of cinnamon basil leaves is derived through tearing them compared to finely chopping them for recipe preparations. The herb is a mix of flavors which include spicy anise-clove flavor.
It is acknowledged that there are generally not many ways to go wrong with cinnamon basil. At the very least you could make yourself some cinnamon basil tea. Often, best results are through experimentation in different dishes and applications. For example, the herb can fit so well in Asian cuisine such as curries. In addition, cinnamon basil leaves can be used as garnish in dishes that already have cinnamon flavor giving that nice touch.
The following are some delicious cinnamon basil recipes to give a try.
| Cinnamon Basil Cookies Recipe – this simple 20 minute recipe is a befitting example of how to make use of the cinnamon flavor of the basil herb in baking products. The recipe calls for 3 tbsp of chopped fresh cinnamon basil alongside some all purpose flour, vanilla extract, lime zest, sugar and butter among other ingredients. All the ingredients including the basil are mixed-in together and thoroughly incorporated into a dough before refrigeration followed by the baking. All in all, the recipe produces 24 tasty cookies which can be served with your favorite beverage. View Recipe. |
| Famous Ratatouille Basil Recipe – this recipe presents a splendid opportunity to do a scrumptious iteration of the famous French summer vegetable stew – Ratatouille. Cinnamon basil will be a noticeable twist to the original dish. The recipe will take chopped fresh cinnamon basil alongside purple (or white) eggplants, zucchini, tomatoes and fresh parsley. The red bell pepper in this recipe can easily be replaced with pimentos if one so wishes. The dish will take up to 60 minutes to make and will serve 4 people. View Recipe. |
Cinnamon Basil Pesto Recipes
One common application of cinnamon basil is in the making of pestos. Pesto is a green sauce of Italian origin. A variety of ingredients are crushed into a paste which is applied to pastas and sandwiches, for example. Pesto made using cinnamon basil can be used in desserts as well. The following are some pesto recipes to try out taking advantage of the cinnamon basil.
| General Basil Pesto Recipe – ever wondered how to make basil pesto? We found this recipe instructive for making general basil pesto. Feel free to replace the basil part in the recipe with your preferred basil variety, be it cinnamon or mint. Since we are talking about cinnamon today, you could use the cinnamon basil variety to make a simple but delicious pesto following the steps in this recipe. Apart from the basil, this recipe will also require pine nuts, parmesan cheese, garlic and virgin olive oil as the key ingredients. View Recipe. |
| Basil Dessert Pesto Recipe – this recipe is an example of the use of pestos in desserts. In 20 minutes this recipe produces a basil pesto that injects an aromatic cinnamon flavor to an otherwise flat dessert offering. Sweet basil leaves can also be used in this recipe in place of the cinnamon variety of the basil. Other recipe ingredients required include chopped almonds, flaked coconut and cheese. View Recipe. |
| Multiple Basil Varieties Pesto Recipe – what would a pesto that combines all kinds of basil varieties taste like? The answer is in this recipe. Apparently, it is possible to bring together different basil cultivars in a single pesto, each of them contributing their own flavor to the dish. This recipe calls upon sweet basil, Greek basil, Thai basil and cinnamon basil creating what has been called a “taste sensation“. The recipe has no limits to which basil types can be added. This is one recipe to keep on hand if you grow a wide variety of basil cultivars. They will all find a recipe home here. Other ingredients that go into this recipe are lemon juice, garlic and cold-pressed oil. View Recipe. |
Growing Cinnamon Basil
Most basil varieties are grown in much the same way. This also applies to growing cinnamon basil which, by the way, is easy to grow and grows very quickly. The fundamentals of growing basil are warm weather (summer), moist rich well drained soils, full sun and partial shade when required.
To encourage bushy growth, the basil leaves must be regularly harvested. In addition, whenever the basil bolts or blooms, the bloom must be removed (and can be consumed). Removing the bloom discourages the plant from dying. Furthermore, the blooms or flowers produce thousands of seeds which can also be used for seed saving purposes.
The most common way of growing cinnamon basil and basil in general is from seed. Cinnamon basil seed can be secured online from Amazon, for example.
Yet another method of cinnamon basil propagation is through cuttings. For better results, the basil stalks are cut and let to sit in a glass of water for a few days. Once they produce roots, they are then transplanted into some growing medium. The other method is planting the freshly cut stalks directly into the ground. This approach increases risk of failure through rotting, for example.
This resource, Growing Basil in Your Backyard, by the University of Illinois Extension is our recommended helpful guide when growing basil.
Cinnamon Basil in Containers
Cinnamon basil is also suitable for container-growing indoors or on the patio. The container must have drainage holes beneath. However, the real catch is in the size of the container used. A small container will keep the plant small. A bigger container will also allow the plant to grow into a bush more prolifically. The container size thus entirely the grower’s call guided by the amount of space available. Generally where space is not an issue, a 3 gallon or 12 liter container would be ideal for growing cinnamon basil in a container.
Finally, keep in mind that container growing is notorious for leaching. As the plant is watered regularly, important nutrients are also lost through drainage. For this reason, container soil for your basil must be kept nutrient rich and the soil itself changed every few years.
Basil Herb Growing Pots
As earlier mentioned, how big your basil plant will grow is dependent on the size of the pot used. Here are examples of pots small enough for indoor growing of basil plants (and other herbs). These can sit on the window seal and keep on producing small bushes of herbs. View on Amazon.
Conclusion
Cinnamon basil is a basil variety containing a chemical compound methyl cinnamate which is responsible for the cinnamon flavor in the leaves of the herb. There are many recipes today available which demonstrate how to use this fragrant herb in cooking. Although primarily used for culinary purposes in desserts, baked products and salads, cinnamon basil is also an ornamental plant which is used by some for its cinnamon fragrance in ornamental gardens. This basil variety is easy to grow and follows a similar growing culture as regular cinnamon many of us are used to.
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