Basil is one of my all time favorite herbs. It's commonly used in Italian and Asian cooking; and very recently it's been making an appearance in my smoothies. Strawberry + Basil is such a refreshing combination!
I love cooking with fresh and dried herbs. They add lots of delicious flavor to food, eliminating the need for condiments (sugar) and additional salt. Condiments, while tasty, often contain a lot of extra sugar. They serve to improve the taste of a dish but I would say a well seasoned dish doesn't require condiments. Experiment with spices and herbs you've never used before. You'll be surprised by how much flavor you can add while cooking.
it acts as an antioxidant, with purple basil varieties having the highest antioxidant activity.
it has antimutagenic abilities, comparable to Vitamin E.
one variety of basil (tulsi or holy basil) has shown antiturmorigenic properties in lab studies with pancreatic cancer cells.
extracts of sweet basil have shown antiviral properties against HSV, ADV and Hep B.
the essential oil of sweet basil has been looked at as a possible food additive because of its antibacterial properties which prevents the growth of food borne pathogenic bacteria.