"thai basil" news and stories

The Wall Street Journal is speculating about the future of flavor. As flavors that were uncommon 10 years ago - and virtually unheard of before that - are now in mainstream venues like fast food restaurants and packages of potato chips, chefs are now looking beyond these flavors to find the next hot item for their menus. In some cases, chefs are even turning away from the "natural" trends so popular right now and using artificial (chemical) flavorings to bring out unusual sensations, like the menthol crystals that Wylie Dufresne uses in a raw fish dish at wd-50 and the flavorings of oak, pine and leather that Heston Blumenthal incorporates at The Fat Duck. While menthol crystals are unlikely to appear in your local market, ready to be sprinkled on your sashimi, WSJ speculates that it could be one of these ten flavors to make it to the big time: Thai basil, tamarind, musk, shiso, pomegranate, guava, leather, pine, florals and/or molé.

Personally, I'm skeptical about musk because it is a relatively common flavor in other countries that has not proved to be popular in the US to date. I know that I am not a fan of it at all. But I must say that leather flavoring seems just a bit less likely even than musk....

There's nothing like a bowl of hot, steamy Vietnamese beef noodle soup, or pho, on a cold winter's day. It's my choice over chicken noodle soup or even my childhood fave, cream of tomato, when I'm sick. The spice clears the sinuses, the bean sprouts, Thai basil and mint brighten my palate, and the broth warms the cockles of my heart. This pho comes from the excellent Portland, Oregon Pho Hung.

[Photo Sarah Gilbert]