Bay leaf

Bay laurel leaves (Laurus nobilis)

Indian bay leaf Cinnamomum tamala

Indonesian bay leaf Syzygium polyanthum

An example of an aromatic leaf (plural bay leaves) which is commonly used in cooking. It
can be whole or ground dried pieces of the plant.

It comes from several plants such as:

Bay laurel (Laurus nobilis, Lauraceae). Fresh or dried bay leaves are used in cooking for
their distinctive flavour and fragrance. The leaves should be removed from the cooked food
before eating (see Safety section below). The leaves are often used to flavour soups, stews,
braises and pâtés in Mediterranean cuisine and beans in Brazilian cuisine. The fresh leaves
are very mild and do not develop their full flavour until several weeks after picking and
drying.[1]
California bay leaf – the leaf of the California bay tree (Umbellularia californica, Lauraceae),
also known as California laurel, Oregon myrtle, and pepperwood, is similar to the
Mediterranean bay laurel, but has a stronger flavour.
Indian bay leaf or malabathrum (Cinnamomum tamala, Lauraceae) differs in that bay laurel
leaves are shorter and light to medium green in colour, with one large vein down the length
of the leaf, while tejpat (Cinnamonum tamala) leaves are about twice as long and wider,
usually olive green in colour, and with three veins down the length of the leaf and is culinarily
quite different, having a fragrance and taste similar to cinnamon (cassia) bark, but milder.
Indonesian bay leaf or Indonesian laurel (salam leaf, Syzygium polyanthum, Myrtaceae) is
not commonly found outside Indonesia; this herb is applied to meat and, less often, to
vegetables.[2]
West Indian bay leaf, the leaf of the West Indian bay tree (Pimenta racemosa, Myrtaceae),
used culinarily and to produce the cologne called bay rum.
Mexican bay leaf (Litsea glaucescens, Lauraceae).
Contents
Chemical constituentsEdit

The leaves contain about 1.3% essential oils (ol. lauri folii), consisting of 45% eucalyptol,
12% other terpenes, 8-12% terpinyl acetate, 3–4% sesquiterpenes, 3% methyleugenol, and
other α- and β-pinenes, phellandrene, linalool, geraniol, and terpineol, contains lauric acid
also.

Taste and aroma Edit

If eaten whole, bay leaves (Laurus nobilis) are pungent and have a sharp, bitter taste. As
with many spices and flavourings, the fragrance of the bay leaf is more noticeable than its
taste. When dried, the fragrance is herbal, slightly floral, and somewhat similar to oregano
and thyme. Myrcene, which is a component of many essential oils used in perfumery, can be
extracted from the bay leaf. They also contain eugenol.[3]

Uses Edit
In Indian and Pakistani cuisine, bay laurel leaves are sometimes used in place of Indian bay
leaf, although they have a different flavour. They are most often used in rice dishes like
biryani and as an ingredient in garam masala. Bay (laurel) leaves are frequently packaged
as tejpatta (the Hindi term for Indian bay leaf), creating confusion between the two herbs.

In the Philippines, dried bay laurel leaves are added as a spice in the dish called adobo.

Bay leaves were used for flavouring by the ancient Greeks.[4] They are a fixture in the
cooking of many European cuisines (particularly those of the Mediterranean), as well as in
the Americas. They are used in soups, stews, meat, seafood, vegetable dishes, and sauces.
The leaves also flavour many classic French dishes. The leaves are most often used whole
(sometimes in a bouquet garni) and removed before serving (they can be abrasive in the
digestive tract). Thai and Laotian cuisine employs bay leaf (Thai name bai kra wan) in a few
Arab-influenced dishes, notably massaman curry.[5]