My all-time favorite example of Tulsi or holy basil is the purple-leafed variety sold by Upton Tea Imports. Since I had been highly impressed by the the green-leafed (Rama) and Vana varieties from Mountain Rose Herbs, liking each much better than their counterparts from Upton, I was excited to try this one.

It was pretty outstanding, but I find I liked it less than the stuff from Upton, which was still my favorite.

This batch has more of an aroma of straw and hay, a lot like dried alfalfa. There is a lot of clove in the aroma, and a hint of anise. Overall though I find the spicy aroma more subdued in this blend than in Upton, and the aroma is weaker overall.

This is still an excellent batch of this herb, however, and I would be very happy to drink it in quantity. It is also significantly cheaper by weight, which is surprising given that it is a coarser cut. I can see buying this even though I find Upton's stuff slightly more aromatic, just because I like drinking it in volume and the price differential is substantial. Both are organic certified.

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