Bay leaf is a fragrant leaf used in cooking savory dishes, popular in Mediterranean, French, Indian, Pakistani, and North American cuisine. It is not poisonous but has a bitter taste, and should be used carefully as other similar-looking leaves can be toxic. It is also used in herbal remedies, perfumes, and cleaning products. In ancient times, it was a symbol of honor and could be placed under the pillow to induce dreams of a future spouse.
Bay leaf is the fragrant leaf of the evergreen bay tree or large shrub and is used for cooking savory dishes. It is a popular additive to pates, soups, seafood, braised meats, poultry and stews. Because it is extremely mild when first picked, bay leaf is traditionally only used after it has been dried for a few weeks, which allows the flavor to intensify. Its aroma is more distinctive than its flavor and is often compared to the fragrance of oregano or thyme.
Other similar-looking dried leaves are often marketed as bay leaves, but they generally lack the distinctive aroma or flavor of bay. These varieties frequently include the bay leaf of California, India and Indonesia. When purchasing this spice, consumers are generally advised to read the label carefully to ensure they are purchasing real bay or bay leaf.
Bay leaf is a popular culinary condiment in a variety of countries and cultures. Mediterranean dishes often include the spice, as do foods prepared in France, India, Pakistan, and North America. It is normally used whole and removed from a dish before serving. Whole bay leaves are generally not eaten either in the dried state or after cooking. True bay leaf is not poisonous, as is widely claimed, but has a bitter taste that most palates find intolerable. Other leaf species can be toxic, but are not normally available in food markets.
The ground forms of the leaf can also be used for cooking. In this form, it is normally contained in a muslin bag or tea infuser to keep it from mixing with the rest of the ingredients. The grinding makes its flavor more intense, but the grainy texture of the ground leaves is generally considered a deterrent to the textural appeal of most dishes.
Apart from cooking, bay leaf is also used in herbal remedies. It can be used as a fresh or dried leaf or its extracted oils for use in liniments. Laurel is also a common component of perfumes and colognes and is often used in cleaning products to mask unpleasant disinfectant odors. Scattering it in pantries is a purported deterrent to cockroaches, moths, and flies.
In ancient times, the laurel was hailed as a symbol of honor. The laurel tree or its leaves were often depicted on family statues and shields. It was once thought that one day a bay leaf could be placed under the pillow of the bed to induce the sleeper to dream of their future spouse.
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