Pesto Change-O

1/2. Assumption and Dish
I eat a lot of pesto, but it all comes from the school, and is usually involved with a cream sauce. I’ve never actually made pesto, and it’s interesting to see just how much basil goes into its creation. Pesto is nothing without the basil, and even then I was never really sure what else went into it besides olive oil and basil. It’s a really simple dish to make; pesto typically contains basil, olive oil, garlic, pine nuts, and parmesan cheese, and is best used as a sauce for various dishes.

Basil!

3. Chemical Analysis
The main component of pesto is basil. Basil is dominated by terpenes which are highly volatile and therefore lost readily due to evaporation, which is why this dish retains so much of its flavor (and why it doesn’t work with dried basil). When the basil is chopped up by the food processor, it releases a lot of the volatile terpenes, and continues to do so when it is eaten, making the flavor so distinctly basil. The volatile aroma molecules enter the nose and bind to a GPCR protein, signaling adenylate cyclase, an enzyme, to make cyclic AMP, a second messenger, so we can process the smell.

Linalool, one of the terpenes in basil.

4. Cultural Analysis
Basil is regarded as a royal plant. The term “basil” comes from the Latin word basilius, meaning “royal or kingly plant”. Eating such an herb is meant to bring you closer to God, as basil is the most popular and loved herb in all of Italy. It has gotten to the point where basil is commonly associated with the country. The history also suggest that it was used frequently in medicines and perfumes, and the smell was good enough for a king. Pesto sauce originated in Genoa sometime during the 16th century, and was historically made using a mortar and pestle. The name pesto itself may come from the Italian word pestare, meaning to crush.

5.  Integration
Pesto is known for adding distinct color and flavor to many popular Italian dishes, which can be attributed largely to the use of basil. This reflects the colorfully designed art frequently found in churches throughout Italy. Especially known for their art are the basilicas. These beautifully designed churches are a staple of Italian religious culture, with their fantastic colors and architecture. The purpose of basilicas is to elevate the holiness of the space through their extravagance. Basil serves a similar purpose in Italian cuisine, elevating the holiness of the consumer. This parallel can be seen in the shared Latin origins of both words, both relating to royalty and kingliness. Thus basil heightens the dishes to which it is added to be fit for a king.

References:
https://www.mdidea.com/products/proper/proper08605.html
http://www.beneforce.com/informationfaq/essential-oils/basil.htm
https://www.oliviersandco.com/pesto-originated