Basilico Genovese

Appearance & taste

The name applies to the whole, fresh plant, grown from seeds of Ocimum basilicum L., from ecotypes or local selections. The plant is medium-tall to very tall and grows broad or cylindrical. The leaves are oval, flat or convex, only slightly or not at all wavy and toothed, and of a particularly delicate colour which, according to the specification, is retained even after processing. The scent is intense and characteristic; there is no mint aroma at all.

According to the specification, basil plants from Liguria yield more essential oil than those from other regions of Italy, and the oil has a different composition. Basil from Piedmont and other neighbouring regions, by contrast, has a mint aroma according to the specification.

Production

Basilico Genovese is grown under cover or in the open, all year round: many farms grow it in greenhouses throughout the year and also in the open in summer. The plant must not be damaged during harvesting.

Because basil is very delicate and dries out easily, it is packed in the area. For eating fresh, plants with two to four pairs of leaves and no flowers are sold with their roots: three to ten plants make a bunch in food-grade paper, eleven to 100 plants a bundle. For artisanal or industrial processing there are packs of whole plants with at most four pairs of leaves. The packaging says “BASILICO GENOVESE D.O.P.”; the logo shows a yellow sun, Liguria in blue and the basil in green.

Origin & history

Liguria has plenty of sun even in winter, temperatures that rarely fall below 10 °C and a constant mild sea breeze. Because the main axis of the region runs along the lines of latitude, the crops get long hours of sun even in winter; the arc of the coastline protects against cold winds from the north, east and west.

Originally the basil was grown only around Genoa. With growing demand, also for pesto, cultivation spread east and west along the whole Ligurian coast. As early as the 1920s and 1930s, early crops from the region’s greenhouses won prizes at the international fruit and vegetable fairs in Finale Ligure, basil in particular. For many farms in the region, basil is an important source of income today.