Mpungambwi Basil - Malawi Camphor (Ocimum canum): In collaboration with several chefs, we're exploring new flavors and plants suited to longer periods of drought with increasing exposure to sunlight. This is how we approached African basils; you'll find several, all very distinctive, much more rustic in cultivation than European and Asian basils, but with completely different organoleptic profiles. This one in particular has an intense, intoxicating, and penetrating scent of camphor and eucalyptus. It's also used as a mosquito deterrent, but we've found no scientific evidence for this. In the kitchen, you'll be spoiled for choice, from cocktails to infusions, teas, and even fish dishes. In the field, the plant grows to a meter tall, with a very broad, globular shape. It prefers full sun but tolerates partial shade. As the plant develops, reduce watering and avoid waterlogging.
