Why Lemon Basil Should Be Added To Dishes At The Very Last Second

Basil can be a delicate herb — so much so that it warrants its very own guide for how to cook with it. But that shouldn't deter you from using basil in any of its variations, including a deliciously light hybrid of the herb — lemon basil. A hybridized herb made from combining sweet basil and American basil, lemon basil has a characteristic citrusy scent and is very popular in many Southeast Asian dishes. But you can't just add lemon basil anytime, any place — with such a delicate herb at hand, it's best to heed an expert's advice on when (and how) to use it.

On top of being a food scientist, product developer, and culinary innovator, chef Mike O'Mara also knows how to handle the more sensitive ingredients in your spice cupboard, such as lemon basil. This ingredient should be added at the very last moment of cooking, and when asked why, he exclusively told us that "flavor, aroma, and appearance" are the key factors. "The flavor and aroma from lemon are very bright and fresh but also quite delicate. These delicate flavor compounds can easily disappear with prolonged heat exposure," he said. Furthermore, the bright herb also begins to wilt under heat and loses its vibrancy. "So adding it at the end of cooking, such as tossing with pasta right before serving, will help preserve the bright and vibrant flavor and appearance," O'Mara explains. Take a chef's advice and hold off on using your lemon basil until you're almost completely done cooking.

Part of learning how to use fresh herbs to their full potential is knowing not only when to add them to the dish, but also understanding which dishes to add them to in the first place. Lemon basil may have a reputation as fitting in well with Asian cuisine, but this isn't the only realm in which you can use it — at least not according to Mike O'Mara. "I like the bright flavor and aroma of lemon basil for heavier dishes like an Alfredo- or mornay-based pasta dish," says the chef. "The lemon basil helps cut the creamy, fatty richness of the sauce and balances the overall experience." Indeed, adding some lemon basil into a pasta with a creamy homemade Alfredo sauce could be the cherry (or basil leaf) on top of an already-scrumptious dish. 

Lemon basil can be added to all kinds of recipes where you'd use regular basil, so as long as you incorporate it at the end. We can't overstate how important this is, and O'Mara agrees in emphasizing this important point. "The delicate flavor and aroma compounds in lemon basil are considered volatile, meaning unstable, so they easily degrade with prolonged exposure to heat," he says. "The flavor and aroma of lemon basil can quite literally disappear from your dish if you cook it too much." So do yourself and any potential guests a favor and don't be too eager with your lemon basil — your dish will thank you for it.