Herb Of The Week - Bay Laurel - Chef Talk

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Bay leaves make food yummy ...

 

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Chris (list mom)

 

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Bay Leaf

By: Dan Birkle

 

 

Also called LAUREL LEAF, leaf of the sweet bay tree, Laurus nobilis, an

evergreen of the family Lauraceae, indigenous to countries bordering the

Mediterranean. They have a woody, astringent flavor with a pleasant,

slightly minty aroma. Bay leaves are imported primarily from Turkey. A

popular spice used in pickling and marinating and to flavour stews,

stuffings, and fish, bay leaves are delicately fragrant but have a

bitter taste. They contain approximately 2 percent essential oil, the

principal component of which is cineole. The smooth and lustrous dried

bay leaves are usually used whole and then removed from the dish after

cooking; they are sometimes marketed in powdered form. Bay has been

cultivated from ancient times; its leaves constituted the wreaths of

laurel that crowned victorious athletes in ancient Greece. Champions of

the Olympic Games wore garlands of bay leaves. The word " baccalaureate, "

signifying the successful completion of one's bachelor studies, means

" laurel berries. " Bay leaves have always had a reputation for protection

against lightning, witchcraft, and evil. Bay also had a legendary role

in the love affair of Appollo and Daphne and was associated with

romance. During the European Middle Ages bay leaves were used

medicinally.