Basil is still considered the “king of herbs” by many cookery authors. An alternative etymology has “basil” coming from the Latin word basilicus, meaning dragon and being the root for basilisk, but this likely was a linguistic reworking of the word as brought from Greece.

Chinese also use fresh or dried basils in soups and other foods. In Taiwan, people add basil leaves into thick soups (羹湯; gēngtāng). They also eat fried chicken with deep-fried basil leaves. Basil is sometimes used with fresh fruit and in fruit jams and sauces.

FYI: Fresh Basil and Dried Basil are like night and day, they both have their particular flavor properties they belong too. As a Chef I naturally find garden fresh Basil at a premium especially with the different varieties of this favorite herb.