All it takes is one influential person to make something stick. And that person may be Ariana Grande.
One of the reasons why people seem to love Ariana Grande is because she’s super relatable. She’s proven that she’s watched her fair share of SpongeBob SquarePants (although that may have been a requirement, as a Nickelodeon kid herself) and that she absolutely loves social media.
If you follow Grande on Instagram, she’s almost always updating her stories. Every little behind-the-scenes bit is there for her fans to share with her.
Grande is also able to realize when she’s screwed up. It could be through an apologetic music video or simply public acknowledgment that one of her tattoos wasn’t well thought-out enough before becoming a reality. In short, we’re rooting for her since it’s like we know her. When she’s successful, we feel successful.
That said, if you start seeing friends eat raw basil, you may want to thank Ariana Grande.
Personally, I’ve got three basil plants simultaneously growing at the moment. It’s a culinary herb that goes with so many other ingredients. Ever have a tomato and basil sandwich before? The only thing that makes it better is mozzarella and a little bit of salt. It’s a really refreshing summertime lunch.
But, on its own? Sure, you may be able to understand the appeal.
Basil isn’t really known as a tart herb. In fact, some varieties are a little sweet — and that’s probably why Grande, who’s right in the midst of her Sweetener World Tour, took a bite. Just watch.
It’s almost like watching someone bite into an onion. You can picture it, but there’s still a little bit of weirdness behind it.
I love basil. I'm about to try eating a basil leaf just by itself. I'll let you know how I get on.
— Stephen Long (@IamStephenLong) April 20, 2010
But, warning. It’s not for everyone.
Ever try eating a fresh basil leaf by itself? Don't.
— Cayleigh (@cayllles) August 6, 2010
Grande’s fans didn’t really know what to say. Hoping to create that one comment that’d have her answer back, some feared she may be secretly allergic.
Ariana Grande / Instagram
Allergies can come at any time, but Grande is 26. She probably would have figured it out by now.
I had a dream last night that I was walking barefoot through a field of basil and then I found out I was allergic to basil
— 🖤✨Megan Golden✨🖤 (@MeganAGolden) October 4, 2016
Grande’s birthday was actually on June 26th (hence, “26 on 26”), which may explain why the singer has been giving a lot of shoutouts to friends recently. There’s nothing like a birthday to make you appreciative.
“basil fiends,” she captioned the video. “i am now done with birthday spam, i promise just v grateful 🌱”
So, if you want to also chomp on basil to help support Grande and her birthday, where do you even start? First, let’s talk about the nutrition behind basil.
Surprisingly, basil is listed as one of the healthiest foods around. It doesn’t contain many calories, but it does contain a lot of vitamins.
One of the biggest is Vitamin K, which is a hard vitamin to come by. Vitamin K is what helps your blood clot.
Substitute raw #spinach for iceberg lettuce. Loaded with vitamin K-- it's Popeye approved! https://t.co/tDZSJaIeQ5 pic.twitter.com/QJqaVniKUk
— Susan Van Hall (@SusanVanHall) June 27, 2019
Since it’s unusual to eat a whole bowl of basil, Vitamin K is also found in leafy greens and kale. Of course, adding a little bit of basil to your salad isn’t the worst idea.
Summer on a plate ☀️☀️☀️ Burrata, heritage tomatoes and basil salad with a pesto dressing. pic.twitter.com/J9Ned2jp9j
— The Snooty Fox (@Snootyfoxlondon) June 26, 2019
It’s hard to say you don’t like basil. There are well over 20 different types of it, and they’re all a little different.
The smell of fresh garden basil is the best
— Kolleen Ferraco (@mamafracs1) June 4, 2018
But they have one thing in common — they can really amplify your food. Next time you have a pasta dish, try chopping some fresh basil up as a topper and see what a difference it makes.
So, is this something you should try at home? Well, it won’t hurt.
But, it’s probably much better to just embrace basil as a great add-on to your dinner tonight. As a plus, it’s really easy to grow if you want to start up your own herb garden.
