Xinkangshan Basil

A visitor entering almost any household on the planet Xinkangshan will notice a small table set near the outer door containing a bowl of freshly plucked leaves. Another, larger bowl will be present on the table where the residents take their meals, and no resident would consider a meal complete without consuming at least a small handful of these. The leaves are from a plant native to the planet that has been given the colloquial name of Xinkangshan Basil.

Description

The leaves of Xinkangshan Basil are spade-shaped with finely serrated edges, approximately 2cm long by 1.5cm across. They are a rich, deep green in color, They are edible by humans, with a very slightly minty taste reminiscent of the Terran herb from which their common name derives. The plants bearing these leaves can be found growing naturally as low shrubs in almost every vegetated biome of the planet. Mature plants are no more than a half meter tall and about the same in breadth.

Because of their importance to local cuisine, many residential homes include small garden areas where - even if nothing else accompanies them - Xinkangshan basil will be grown. Several large commercial-scale greenhouse facilities around the planet also specialize in providing fresh sprigs and leaves to markets.

Importance

The ubiquity of Xinkangshan is due to more than the fact that it is a quite pleasant-tasting plant whether eaten raw or as a seasoning in cooked foods. Early colonists to the planet discovered that consuming the leaves can confer a temporary immunity to the toxin in the atmosphere which makes filter masks necessary. Researchers have discovered a unique enzyme found within the leaves which is absorbed by humans consuming the leaves; at sufficient buildup levels, this enzyme neutralizes the atmospheric toxin. Research has also shown that, while the leaves retain their flavor-enhancing abilities when cooked, the beneficial enzymes are destroyed by even low heat. Raw consumption is required for the immunity effects.

Living and working all day every day while wearing a filter mask is unpleasant at best. It is not surprising that a plant that allows residents to forego the protective masks entirely has become a significant cultural focal point for those residents. Every meal includes a raw salad with a base of basil leaves. The bowl by the door of most households is there to offer departing visitors one more opportunity to "top off" their immunity; failing to do so is considered terribly impolite at best, and a sharp rebuke of the homeowner's hospitality at worst.