Lemon basil (maenglak).

Maenglak is the gentlest of the Thai basils to look at. The leaves are small, pale green and soft, a little fuzzy if you look closely, and they smell of lemon with a soft peppery edge. It doesn't stand up to long cooking the way horapha does, so it usually goes in at the very end, or straight onto the plate raw. The tiny black seeds that swell in sweet drinks come from this same plant once it flowers.

Ways to use it

• Stir a big handful into kaeng liang, the peppery vegetable soup, just before you turn off the heat.
• Put sprigs raw on the side plate with khanom jeen and its curry sauce.
• Add it to a mushroom soup or a jungle curry in the last minute.
• Eat it fresh with nam prik and a plate of blanched vegetables.
• Tear a few leaves over a fish curry or a spicy salad for a lemony lift.

Storing it

Basil and cold don't get along. A review of basil storage reports damage below 12 degrees Celsius, and a home fridge runs colder than that, so keep it out. Stand the stems in a glass of water in a cool corner of the kitchen and use it within a few days. The leaves bruise easily, so rinse them gently under running water just before using.

Where it comes from

Grown to certified organic standards. The certificate for each lot is shown when you trace your pack.

Every pack will carry a lot code. Enter it on the Trace your pack page and you will see the farms in that lot, the harvest date and the certificate.