Purple Basil - Is there a Flavor Difference?

[the greenest]

does purple basil taste the same as normal basil

[rainbowgardener]

Pretty similar, especially by the time you put it in a recipe and cook it, but it has a stronger fragrance, almost perfumy....

[LupinePredator]

Rainbowgardener is correct, the flavor is quite similar, but the aroma is different, almost heady in the purple basil. One nice feature of the purple is quite simply its color.

I spent some years earier in life working in a restaurant kitchen. One item that was quite popular was a Tomato & Basil salad with Croutons & Balsamic Vinaigrette. It was made exactly as the name implies. Wedges of tomato, homemade croutons, balsamic vinaigrette, and basil. The basil was cut into julienne strips - done by simply rolling the leaf into a tight tube, then slicing into 1/8" slices.

When you use purple basil, the dish takes on an entirely new appearance. Since appearance plays a big role in food, that one thing - purple basil - made the salad very attractive.

And it just dawned on me - should this post be in the recipes section?