11.19.2020
Spice Spotlight: Bay Leaves
Learn what bay leaves taste like, how to use and store them, and safe tips for adding flavor to soups, stews, sauces, and roasts.
- Bay leaves come from the Laurus nobilis tree and are best when pale green, mostly whole, and aromatic.
- Dried leaves offer woodsy, minty, citrus, and warm spice notes and work well in stocks, stews, sauces, and braises.
- Add bay leaves early to extract flavor, remove whole leaves before serving, or crack them and use a muslin bag for stronger infusion.
Throughout the ages bay leaves have been a symbol of triumph, victory, and achievement. Greek olympians wore crowns of bay leaves to mark their athletic win. Roman emperor Caesar wore a bay leaf crown to emphasize his power, although many say it was to hide his baldness. Even today, skilled poets are recognized by governments and given the official title of poet laureate—laureate stems from the word laurel, another common name for bay leaves.
The culinary triumphs of bay leaves are just as significant. From mentions in the first century Roman cookbook Apicius, to the dog-eared recipe cards in your grandmother’s cupboard, bay leaves are an indispensable ingredient in the kitchen.
What Are Bay Leaves?
Bay leaves are an herb plucked from the evergreen tree, Lauris nobilis, also known as the bay laurel tree. (Not to be confused with the California bay laurel, Umbellularia californica.) Bay laurel trees are part of the greater Lauraceae family which includes other important plants like cinnamon and avocado trees. In fact, both cinnamon and avocado leaves are also popular cooking ingredients in their countries of origin. The bay laurel tree is native to Asia minor, and naturalized throughout the mediterranean. Turkey is the leading producer of quality bay laurel, and The Spice House’s source for premium bay leaves.
Bay laurel trees are commonly grown as a shrub, but can reach heights over 50 feet tall. It is even a popular landscaping plant in the milder climates of the United States. When cultivated for food, select branches are pruned for harvest and set in the shade to dry. Leaves are later handpicked from the branch before further curing. Drying leaves in direct sunlight turns them brown and diminishes their essential oils and aromas.
Quality bay leaves should be a pale green color and free of blemishes and sold in mostly whole pieces. It is okay if there are a few broken leaves, but a bag of crumbled pieces is not preferred.
What Do Bay Leaves Taste Like?
Dried bay leaves express woodsy aromas of pine, mint, menthol, and citrus. There are also faintly warm notes of clove and cinnamon.
When the essential oils are allowed to diffuse out of the dried leaf, it adds a spicy bitterness that balances and enhances rich recipes like stews, gravies, and cream sauces.
Bay leaves pair well with other flavors like allspice, basil, cardamom, chiles, cloves, fennel, ginger, garlic, onion, shallot, lemon, orange, marjoram, oregano, paprika, parsley, chervil, black pepper, rosemary, savory, sage, and thyme.
Like all quality herbs and spices, a container of bay leaves should offer a fragrant aroma when opened. If the bay leaves in your spice cabinet have no scent, it is time to refresh your supply.
How Do You Use Bay Leaves in Cooking?
Bay leaves are integral for flavoring soups, stocks, stews, sauces, braised dishes, roasts, legumes, rice dishes, marinades, and pickles. They should be added to recipes early so as to release all their pungent flavors, and removed before serving as whole leaves can be sharp and difficult to digest.
Dried bay leaves can be bloomed in oil like other spices, waking up their flavor and releasing it into the cooking oil. Consider this when you are braising or sautéing a dish. Lightly fry the bay leaf in the same oil you will sear meat in later.
For a stronger release of flavor, crack the bay leaves before adding them to your recipe. This does make them more difficult to remove later, so consider using a muslin bag.
French cuisine and cooking techniques are no stranger to bay leaves. Their bitter, aromatic flavor is essential in rich sauces, like the classic béchamel. Bay leaves help form the quintessential bouquet garnish —a tied bundle of herbs, typically thyme sprigs, rosemary, parsley, and chervil. This is meant to simmer with other ingredients and can easily be removed later. If you take half an onion and stab a bay leaf into it with a couple cloves, you wind up with an onion piqué. Simmer this “onion pique” into cream sauces and clear broths to add rich flavors without affecting color or texture.
Bay leaves can also be used in recipes that aren’t liquid, especially roasted fingerling potatoes. Toss potatoes in olive oil, salt, and freshly ground pepper. Add them to a shallow roasting pan with a few gently cracked bay leaves before covering with parchment paper and foil. Roast in the oven until potatoes are tender. The outside of the potatoes will take on the scent of the bay leaves, delivering an interesting depth of flavor.
If you have any bay leaf questions or have a favorite recipe that uses bay leaves, email us at spices@thespicehouse.com, or leave a comment below.
Article by Geoff Marshall, Staff Writer
Frequently Asked Questions
What are bay leaves and where do they come from?
Bay leaves come from Laurus nobilis, the bay laurel tree. Native to Asia Minor and common across the Mediterranean, they are harvested from pruned branches, shaded and dried to preserve their essential oils.
How do bay leaves taste and what do they pair with?
Dried bay leaves have woodsy, minty, citrus, and faint clove and cinnamon notes. They pair well with garlic, onion, thyme, rosemary, oregano, parsley, pepper, allspice, and many warm spices.
Should I use fresh or dried bay leaves?
Dried bay leaves are most common and show stronger aromatic oils. Fresh leaves are milder. For consistent flavor, use dried leaves in long-simmering dishes and dry fresh leaves in the shade before storing.
When and how do I add bay leaves to recipes?
Add bay leaves early in cooking so their oils can infuse the dish. You can lightly fry a leaf in oil to wake up its aroma, drop whole leaves into soups and stews, or crack them for a stronger release. Remove whole leaves before serving.
Can you eat bay leaves?
No. Whole bay leaves are tough and can be sharp. They should be removed before eating to avoid choking or unpleasant texture. If you need the flavor in every bite, use finely ground bay leaf or steep cracked leaves in a bag.
How should I store bay leaves and how long do they last?
Store whole dried leaves in an airtight container away from heat and light. They keep aroma longest when whole. If the leaves lose scent, replace them. Properly stored, dried bay leaves often stay useful for about 1 to 3 years.
What are good substitutes for bay leaves?
If you do not have bay leaves, use a small sprig of thyme, a pinch of dried oregano, or a blend of dried thyme and basil to mimic the herbal, slightly bitter background. California bay laurel has a stronger, more pungent flavor and is not a direct swap for cooking where subtlety is needed.
What are bay leaves and where do they come from?
Bay leaves come from Laurus nobilis, the bay laurel tree. Native to Asia Minor and common across the Mediterranean, they are harvested from pruned branches, shaded and dried to preserve their essential oils.
How do bay leaves taste and what do they pair with?
Dried bay leaves have woodsy, minty, citrus, and faint clove and cinnamon notes. They pair well with garlic, onion, thyme, rosemary, oregano, parsley, pepper, allspice, and many warm spices.
Should I use fresh or dried bay leaves?
Dried bay leaves are most common and show stronger aromatic oils. Fresh leaves are milder. For consistent flavor, use dried leaves in long-simmering dishes and dry fresh leaves in the shade before storing.
When and how do I add bay leaves to recipes?
Add bay leaves early in cooking so their oils can infuse the dish. You can lightly fry a leaf in oil to wake up its aroma, drop whole leaves into soups and stews, or crack them for a stronger release. Remove whole leaves before serving.
Can you eat bay leaves?
No. Whole bay leaves are tough and can be sharp. They should be removed before eating to avoid choking or unpleasant texture. If you need the flavor in every bite, use finely ground bay leaf or steep cracked leaves in a bag.
How should I store bay leaves and how long do they last?
Store whole dried leaves in an airtight container away from heat and light. They keep aroma longest when whole. If the leaves lose scent, replace them. Properly stored, dried bay leaves often stay useful for about 1 to 3 years.
What are good substitutes for bay leaves?
If you do not have bay leaves, use a small sprig of thyme, a pinch of dried oregano, or a blend of dried thyme and basil to mimic the herbal, slightly bitter background. California bay laurel has a stronger, more pungent flavor and is not a direct swap for cooking where subtlety is needed.
Thanks for the note — I wish you would offer California Bay Laurel, too. I grew up on that (Spice Islands) and prefer it to the Turkish, which I find harsh.
Aloha,
Bruce Graham
I’m a new customer of the spice house and your Turkish Bay leaves were part of my first order and I’m hooked! I will only purchase these bay leaves from now on. They have brought a new dimension of flavor to my favorite recipes.
Very appreciative of your informative facts and tutorials.
My Pasta gravy (or sauce, depending on your location) wouldn’t be the same without Bay leaves.
Beef Vegetable soup, Chili, Sloppy Joes,—anything with tomatoes. YUM!