Thai basil

โหระพา / horapha; húng quế

Flavor and role: A basil with purple stems and small leaves, giving a sweet, strong anise and liquorice aroma. Its aroma holds up well when cooked.
Typical dishes and uses: Pho, green and red curry, Thai stir-fries, Vietnamese wraps. In this book: pho bo and pad kra pao (instead of holy basil).
Substitutes: The same amount of sweet basil + a few mint leaves or a pinch of ground star anise to round out the aroma.
Storage: The leaves blacken in a cold fridge, so stand the stems in a glass of water at room temperature (18-22°C) and use within 2-4 days.
Main countries: Thailand · Vietnam
Used in this book: Ayam Penyet Thai Green Curry with Chicken (Gaeng Keow Wan)Num Banh Chok Panang Chicken Curry (Phanaeng Gai)Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken (Yan Su Ji)Three-Cup Chicken (San Bei Ji)Thai Red Curry Coconut Albóndigas Green Curry Coconut Arroz con Pollo (Colombian × Thai)Ayam Penyet Kremes Canh Chua Seafood Cioppino with Garlic Toast (Vietnamese × Italian-American)Thai Red Curry Cazuela with Coconut, Pumpkin and Corn Thai Red Curry Coconut Dal with Lemongrass Tadka Hand-Rolled Dan Bing with Basil Omelette and Soy Glaze Thai Red Curry Frikadeller (Danish × Thai)Gado-Gado Rice Paper Rolls Galbi Pho (Vietnamese Pho × Galbitang)Thai Lemongrass Gambas Green Curry with Hand-Pounded Paste Green Curry Shrimp Spaghetti (Thai-Italian)Green Curry Fried Rice with Crispy Fried Egg Thai-Style Coconut Chicken and Squash Curry Kongnamul Haejang Phở (Korean × Vietnamese)Light Soup Rice Noodle Bowl (Ghanaian × Vietnamese)Red Curry Coconut Lion's Head Meatballs (Chinese × Thai)Thai red curry moqueca with lemongrass Thai Red Curry Coconut Couscous Smoky Grilled-Fish Num Banh Chok Kroeung Fish Cakes with Coconut Curry Dip and Herb Wraps Slow-Braised Beef Panang (Phanaeng Neua) with Toasted Spices Panang Beef Cottage Pie with Coconut Sweet Potato Mash (Thai × British)Panang Pork Smash Burger with Peanut-Lime Slaw Phở Đặc Biệt with 4-Hour Oxtail Broth Phở French Dip Sandwich Phở-Spiced Beef Fried Rice Pho-Spiced Chicken Sancocho with Rice Noodles (Colombian × Vietnamese)Sayur Lodeh Coconut Risotto with Crispy Tempeh (Indonesian × Italian)Tafelspitz Pho (Austrian × Vietnamese)Night-Market Master Popcorn Chicken with Toasted Pepper Salt Gochujang-Honey Popcorn Chicken (Korean Yangnyeom Style)Sizzling Clay-Pot Three-Cup Chicken with Caramelised Ginger Three-Cup Chicken Penne with Thai Basil-Peanut Pesto (Taiwanese × Italian)Three-Cup Glazed Chicken Skewers with Crispy Basil Tom Yum Shrimp Cream Spaghetti Thai Coconut Lemongrass White Chicken Chili

Updated 2026-10-10