Thai Lemon Basil question

Is anyone growing Thai Lemon Basil? If so, where did you get your plants/seeds?

I'm growing Mrs. Burns lemon basil from Johnny's Seeds. I had some seed hanging around-- it looks like their seed crop failed this year.

Jen

What region are you in? When do you usually start planting your seeds?

Is the one where the seed crop failed the one which is typically used in Thai cooking? I see that Johnny Seeds has two different type of lemon basil.

A few weeks ago there were tons and tons of different plants available at the Green City Market (and other farmer's markets around). I don't know specifically if they had lemon basil, but each stand that was selling basil generally had several varieties to choose from. Heck, I saw purple basil, thai basil (bush) and 2 kinds of Italian basil at the Strack!

I am growing both Mrs. Burns and Sweet Dani lemon basil using holdover seeds from Johnny's. Sweet Dani is fairly available because it was an All-America Selection in 1998. Mrs. Burns has particularly high citral content although Sweet Dani comes close. Both beat generic lemon basil in lemon aroma and vigor and are slightly slower to bolt.

However, based on the list of basil cultivars in Wikipedia I have serious doubts as to whether this is what the OP is after.

ekreider wrote: However, based on the list of basil cultivars in Wikipedia I have serious doubts as to whether this is what the OP is after.

Too bad!

Shorty, I am in zone 5 and I plant my seeds indoors just after St. Patrick's day. Do post an update if you find the right kind of basil!

Jen

I think it would be very hard for me to find any Thai variety of basil plants this late in the season. I'll try to start them from seed early next spring. Around my area, I have not seen any holy basil nor lemon basil at any of the garden nurseries.

I guess that not many people cook Thai food in the Chicagoland area given the difficulty in finding ingredients for Thai cooking.

I guess that not many people cook Thai food in the Chicagoland area given the difficulty in finding ingredients for Thai cooking.

To quote Jacky Pluton, "Where do you live - on an island???"

You are just looking in the wrong places. Thai ingredients are ridiculously easy to find at a number of well-stocked Asian markets in the Argyle /Broadway area in the city, and at ethnic stores in the 'burbs, such as the Marketplace on Oakton in Skokie. I'd advise you to check the Shopping & Cooking thread here, and localize your search. I'd get more specific, but I have no idea where Kildeer is.

sundevilpeg wrote:

I guess that not many people cook Thai food in the Chicagoland area given the difficulty in finding ingredients for Thai cooking.

To quote Jacky Pluton, "Where do you live - on an island???"

You are just looking in the wrong places. Thai ingredients are ridiculously easy to find at a number of well-stocked Asian markets in the Argyle /Broadway area in the city, and at ethnic stores in the 'burbs, such as the Marketplace on Oakton in Skokie. I'd advise you to check the Shopping & Cooking thread here, and localize your search. I'd get more specific, but I have no idea where Kildeer is.

I have already done this kind of search at this web site. The closest locations I have found for these kind of ingredients is H-Mart. The two locations are about a 40 and 50 minute drive away. I have already visited a bunch of ethic grocery stories in my area (Korean, Chinese) looking for ingredients. I would prefer to grow these ingredients.

Dear Shorty,

Is this any help to you? The last post looks like its from someone who could provide the seeds you're looking for.

Katie wrote:Dear Shorty,

Is this any help to you? The last post looks like its from someone who could provide the seeds you're looking for.

Thanks for the link. I'll start calling up those nurseries to see if anyone has any of the plants I am looking for.

Is there a difference between Thai lemon basil and lemon basil? I have four lemon basil plants in the backyard, and I found pretty easy to find at several nurseries in Chicago, including Soukal, Meinke, Gethsemane Gardens, and what used to be the Egg Store on Archer and is now under some other name. Early in the season, it seemed like only genovese and lemon basil were available at all the stores. Only later in May did I find my favorite basils: cinnamon and Thai sweet (horapa).

Gethsemane Gardens also stocked two different types of holy basil, but the gardening expert there explained to me that they were Indian varieties of holy basil (tulsi) and were not used culinarily. I tried to research the taxonomy of plants known as "holy basil" and haven't quite reached anything definitive. All types are Ocimum tenuiflorum, they do seem to have some kind of difference between them, but I haven't been able to find a direct comparison in terms of taste and aroma.