Thai basil is a type of sweet basil commonly found in Southeast Asian dishes. It is easily recognizable by its purple stem and buds. In Khmer, the name of Thai basil literally translates as “reddish herb” because of this characteristic. Thai basil is very fragrant and quite delicious to eat. Most of the recipes on this site will use Thai basil in a saute or soup.
Thai basil isn’t too hard to find, especially in cities or areas with a large Asian population. I usually buy this herb from Bangkok Center Grocery on Mosco Street in NYC. If there aren’t any Asian grocery stores nearby, you can get Thai basil from the internet. It’s insanely expensive tho. Its about $15 online instead of $2 in the store.