• Sweet green basil is often used in cooking.Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images
  
  Basil is a common aromatic herb with various culinary uses. This leafy plant is often used for its flavor in Italian dishes as well as Asian cuisine. But all basil is not created equally. This herb grows in several varieties, all of which have significantly different appearance, taste or smell. Since several basil options are available in grocery stores or garden centers, it is good to know which one is best suited for your purposes. Most basil can be identified either by its scent or leaves.
  
  

Sweet Basil

• Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) is the typical basil most people find in their grocery store for pizza, pasta dishes or pesto. It has wide, green aromatic leaves and a sweet and spicy taste. This member of the mint family is native to India and China, but it is grown across the globe because of its popularity. According to the University of Hawaii Farmer's Bookshelf website, the United States imports 2,000 tons of basil each year for consumption. Most commercially grown American sweet basil grows in Hawaii.
  
  

Lemon Basil

• Lemon basil (Ocimum basilicum-citriodorum) is perhaps the easiest variety of basil to identify. It has small, slender leaves and a strong lemon or citrus smell. The taste of lemon basil is much less pronounced than the sweet variety. This variety of the herb is known to pair well with fish dishes when steamed together with the meat. It should be added near the end of the cooking process---since all basil loses more flavor the longer it cooks, according to the Washington State Clark County Extension website.
  
  Lemon basil is also commonly used in soups and stews as well as salads and deserts.
  
  

Opal Basil

• Opal basil (Ocimum basilicum-purpurascens) is one of the varieties of the herb grown in the Unites States in places like California. Its availability in grocery stores makes this version of the herb as visible to consumers in its fresh form as sweet basil in many places.
  
  Opal basil grows ruffled, burgundy- to purple-colored leaves and is known for its delicate flavor. The taste of opal basil is almost like ginger. It has a sweet perfume-like aroma and is popular in infused vinegars, combined with tomato slices or tossed in Caprese salads.
  
  

Thai Basil

• Thai basil (Bai horapa) is the most distinctive member of the basil family because it looks, smells and tastes much different from other varieties. Also commonly called anise or licorice basil, Thai basil is a tropical plant with smaller, less-rounded leaves that are much darker green than its basil cousins.
  
  The stems of Thai basil are purple and the herb is eaten more like a vegetable in Thai cuisine. The whole leaf is used to flavor dishes ranging from curries to soups and seafood wok dishes, according to the Thai Food and Travel website.