Herbs
Besobela
በሶበላ
Ethiopia
Sacred basil — an Ethiopian basil variety with a clove-and-pepper aroma, central to niter kibbeh and many wot. One of the signature herbs that gives Ethiopian food its unmistakable perfume.
Original eatfuls sticker artwork
What it is
A closer look at Besobela.
Sacred basil — an Ethiopian basil variety with a clove-and-pepper aroma, central to niter kibbeh and many wot. One of the signature herbs that gives Ethiopian food its unmistakable perfume.
What to look for
Know it when you find it.
Fresh green leaves with a distinctive clove-pepper basil scent; dried and simmered into spiced butter and stews.
Where it belongs
Origins and
traditions.
Food rarely respects a border. These are the places the dataset connects most strongly to Besobela.
Names around the table
One food, more than one name.
Keep exploring
If this caught your eye…
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Native rainforest plant with aniseed flavour, used in teas, desserts, and as a spice, strong aniseed aroma with fresh leaves, a rare native gourmet ingredient.
Armenia
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Ավելուկ
Wild mountain sorrel gathered in spring, plaited into long ropes and dried, then rehydrated for soup and salad through the winter.
Colombia
Cilantro Cimarrón
A wild cilantro variety from the Colombian Pacific, with long, serrated leaves and a strong, aromatic flavor. Used in Pacific soups, stews, and tapao.
Dominican Republic
Culantro
A Dominican herb (culantro/recao) with long, serrated leaves and a strong, aromatic cilantro-like flavor. Used in sofritos and stews, a key seasoning.
Ethiopia
Gesho
ጌሾ
A buckthorn shrub whose stems and leaves are used to ferment and bitter Ethiopian tej (honey wine) and tella (beer). Gesho plays the role hops play in beer — without it, there'd be no Ethiopian fermented drinks.
Greenland
Angelica
Qajaliusaq
Arctic angelica; a wild herb used to infuse water and flavor dishes; carafes of angelica-infused water are served at kaffemik gatherings; a traditional Greenlandic herb; a key ingredient in New Arctic Kitchen cuisine.
Greenland
Mountain Sorrel (Seernaq)
Mountain sorrel (seernaq), a lemony Greenlandic herb eaten fresh or cooked with fish and seal.
Greenland
Sheep's Sorrel
Sheep's sorrel (Rumex acetosella); a wild herb gathered in Greenland; a traditional Greenlandic plant food; tart and lemony; one of the few plant foods in the traditional Greenlandic diet; a summer foraged green.