Iraqi Reehan Basil

These gorgeous plants somewhat resemble Thai basil or tulsi with a strong basil flavor with notes of anise and an irresistible fragrance, even in the field. The following description comes from Experimental Farm network: This basil was originally collected in Baghdad's Sadr City at a local market called Al-Mustafa Market. It is traditionally included in a plate full of fresh herbs that are served as a side dish to an Iraqi meal. The Arabic word for basil is "reehan" or "rehan," which comes from the root-word for "smell," referring to its flavorful scent. (The prolific pop singer Rihanna’s name is actually derived from this Arabic word for basil!) We know we still have a lot more to learn about this variety, such as where it was or is traditionally grown in Iraq, when basil became popular in Iraq, and how else it's traditionally used, but we and our colleagues in the Iraqi Seed Collective are hopeful that by making it available here we might get some more answers soon. We believe it's l