Come to think of it, before today I didn't even realise basil came in so many varieties.
But after a very informative morning in the garden and kitchen with an elegant Thai lady called Tam I have not only discovered there are different types of basil but that each will improve the health of different internal organs.
For a few hours today my little group of travel writers got to learn more about Thai food by attending the Amita Thai Cooking Class at Tam's family compound beside one of Bangkok's winding canals.
A traditional longboat took us to the school and we started the ride at wharf in downtown Bangkok and then crossed the wide and busy Chao Phraya River before navigating a maze of big and small canals to reach Tam's place.
The land once belonged to the cook's great, great grand parents and has been divided up over the generations so each of the children got a plot to build a house on.
Now her cousins, siblings, nieces and nephews live in the buildings that surround Tam's house and outdoor kitchen -- a gaggle of relatives also work at the cooking school -- and there's a temple across the canal on land that her family donated to a band of monks a few years ago.
The monastery provided a harmonious soundtrack, with the monk's soothing chanting drifting across the water and calmly serenading us as we secured our aprons.
The experience starts with a stroll through the garden, where Tam snips herbs and flowers so students can sample the different fragrances, with instruction on how to use the different ingredients in traditional Thai dishes.
Then it's in to the kitchen, which is only big enough to accommodate 10 aspiring chefs at a time each working at their own station with a little stove and work bench, where Tam and her team run through the dishes to be prepared.
The boss stands at the stove, spilling ingredients into the pan, and then her assistants give each student a sample to get a better idea of the flavours being used.
Then a tray of ingredients, each finely sliced and in its own little dish ready for cooking, are placed at each station and we start to prepare our own lunchtime feast.
Less than an hour later we have three yummy dishes to be consumed -- phat Thai, stir-fried chicken with cashews, and chicken in coconut soup which proved to be a taste sensation with every mouthful providing an explosion of delightful flavours.
I surprised myself, not only being able to prepare three exotic dishes that I would never have attempted on my own, but that fact that I liked the fragrant meals that usually don't appeal to my taste buds.
For a moment I even entertained the idea of cooking this feast for my family, until I realised I would have to locate the mysterious ingredients in Melbourne, chop all the ingredients myself, and then do the cooking without a friendly Thai lady telling me telling me when to stir and simmer.
We finished our feast with lots of local fruit, and even with a full tummy I managed to eat my way through a big plate of mango, pineapple and watermelon.
Bangkok is an interesting destination, not always an easy place to play tourist, but starting my visit with a morning at Tam's cooking school was a delightful way to kick off a stay in Thailand.
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