Integrative Assignment III – Aromatics

Elise Miwa – Integrative Assignment III

Pesto

Pesto and some of its ingredients: basil, olive oil, and parmesan cheese

1. Assumption
   I have always loved pesto and put it on almost all the pasta I eat. However, my family always gets our pesto premade from the grocery store, so I never gave much thought to what was in it or how it was made. At school, the only pesto readily accessible to me is at the deli station in the dining hall, and I noticed right away that it was not as good as the pesto I was used to at home, which surprised me, because it was definitely much fresher and probably made from better basil. I realized that the pesto at school lacks some of the ingredients usually found in pesto, which is likely what makes it taste less rich. It was interesting that even though both the pesto at school and the one we buy at home are mostly basil, it is not just about the basil but also about how it interacts with the other ingredients in the dish and how they bring out its flavor.

2. Dish
   Pesto is a sauce, often served with pasta, that is typically comprised of crushed basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan cheese, and olive oil.

3. Chemical Analysis
   The main component of pesto is basil, and it gives the sauce most of its flavor. In the nose and mouth, sweet, savory, and bitter molecules bind to GPCR proteins, leading to the release of second messengers that signal the brain to smell and taste those flavors. Salty and sour flavors are communicated through ion channels in the mouth, also eventually signaling the brain. The experience of eating pesto is both gustatory and olfactory because there are over one hundred times more GPCR proteins in the nose than in the mouth, making smell an integral part of taste. This is especially true for basil, which contains many volatile terpenes that are prone to evaporation and therefore highly fragrant. This is also why pesto must be made from fresh basil; terpenes evaporate quickly, leaving older basil without these vital taste and aroma molecules.

4. Cultural Analysis
   The word “basil” is likely derived from the Greek word “basilikon,” meaning “royal,”. Its botanical name, “ocimum,” is also derived from Greek, meaning “to be fragrant”. Basil is certainly fragrant, and it is regarded as a royal herb that is meant to bring one closer to God. It is also one of the most popular and beloved herbs in Italian culinary culture. Pesto originated in Genoa during the 16^th century. The name “pesto” comes from the Genoese word pestâ, which means to pound or to crush, because the sauce was traditionally prepared with a mortar and pestle.

5. Integration
   Basil alone has a lot of significance in Italian culture because of its properties. In “Lisabetta and the Pot of Basil” from Boccaccio’s The Decameron, Lisabetta uses basil to hide and keep Lorenzo’s head. This is both symbolic and practical. Basil, as a highly aromatic herb, full of volatile terpenes, would mask the smell of the decomposing head in the pot. Additionally, because basil is seen as holy and royal, she is honoring Lorenzo’s memory by burying him with basil. Pesto also has these attributes and elevates the dishes that it is added to. Additionally, the bright green of pesto is used to colorfully and artistically present food. Another area of Italian culture where artistry and holiness mix is in Italian basilicas, ornate and beautiful churches. Both “basilica” and “basil” are derived from the Greek “basilikon” and share the same royal beauty and holy symbolism.

Works Cited

Rindels, Sherry. “Basil.” Basil | Horticulture and Home Pest News, 21 Mar. 1997, hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/1997/3-21-1997/basil.html.

“How Pesto Originated | O&CO.” Oliviers & Co., www.oliviersandco.com/pesto-originated.