Bay leaf (plural bay leaves), Greek Daphni, Romanian Dafin, Portuguese Louro; is the aromatic leaf of several species of the Laurel family (Lauraceae). Fresh or dried bay leaves are used in cooking for their distinctive flavor and fragrance.
General Description
Bay Leaves come from the sweet bay or laurel tree, known botanically as Laurus nobilis. The elliptical leaves of both trees are green, glossy, and grow up to 3 inches long.
History/Region of Origin
Ancient Greeks and Romans crowned victors with wreaths of laurel. The term “baccalaureate,” means laurel berry, and refers to the ancient practice of honoring scholars and poets with garlands from the bay laurel tree. Romans felt the leaves protected them against thunder and the plague. Later, Italians and the English thought Bay Leaves brought good luck and warded off evil.
Taste and aroma
If eaten whole, bay leaves are pungent and have a sharp, bitter taste. The flavor of the California bay leaf is a bit more intense and bitter than the Grecian variety. As with many spices and flavorings, the fragrance of the bay leaf is more noticeable in cooked foods than the 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. The flavor and aroma of bay leaves owes in large part to the essential oil eugenol.
bay_leaf
bay leaves
bay leaves
The aromatic leaf from the evergreen bay laurel tree, native to the Mediterranean. There are two varieties: Turkish (1 to 2 inch long oval) and California (2 to 3 inch long narrow) leaves. The Turkish is said to have the better flavor.
plural: bay leaves
Ingredient
Season: available year-round
How to select: Fresh bay leaves are rarely available.
How to store: Keep for 6 months in a cool dark place.
How to prepare: Flavor soups, stews and long-cooking dishes, but remove before serving.
Matches well with: beans, game, lentils, potatoes, risotto, shellfish, soups, stews, tomatoes
Substitutions: 1/4 tsp crushed bay leaf = 1 whole bay leaf = 1/4 tsp thyme
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