Abstract Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.), one of the most popular aromatic plants, shows great variation in both morphology and essential oil components. In this study, the essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation from the leaves of three samples of basil of French Polynesia were investigated for the first time. The main constituents of the oil were (E)-methyl cinnamate (43.4â62.3%) and (Z)-methyl cinnamate (8.1â8.6%).