View source for Bay leaf

{{Use British English|date=January 2025}}
{{short description|Aromatic leaf}}
{{Distinguish|Cherry laurel}}
[[File:Bay Leaves.JPG|thumb|right|Bay laurel leaves (''Laurus nobilis'')]]
[[File:Indian bay leaf - tejpatta - indisches Lorbeerblatt.jpg|thumb|right|Indian bay leaf ''[[Cinnamomum tamala]]'']]
[[File:Syzy polyan 070404-3398 sbrg.jpg|thumb|right|Indonesian bay leaf ''[[Syzygium polyanthum]]'']]

The '''bay leaf''' is an [[aroma]]tic leaf commonly used as a [[herb]] in cooking. It can be used whole, either dried or fresh, in which case it is removed from the dish before consumption, or less commonly used in ground form. The flavour that a bay leaf imparts to a dish has not been universally agreed upon, but many agree it is a subtle addition.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What Are Bay Leaves? |url=https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-a-bay-leaf-995576 |access-date=2024-05-23 |website=The Spruce Eats |language=en}}</ref> Food writer [[J. Kenji López-Alt|J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]] advises boiling bay leaves in a pot of water then tasting the water at five minutes and at an hour to be able to more accurately determine their flavour.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What's the Point of Bay Leaves? {{!}} Ask The Food Lab |url=https://www.seriouseats.com/ask-the-food-lab-whats-the-point-of-bay-leaves |access-date=2025-10-13 |website=Serious Eats |language=en}}</ref>

Bay leaves come from various plants and are used for their distinctive flavour and fragrance. The most common source is the bay laurel (''[[Laurus nobilis]]''). Other types include [[California bay laurel]], [[Indian bay leaf]], [[Pimenta racemosa|West Indian bay laurel]], and [[Litsea glaucescens|Mexican bay laurel]]. Bay leaves contain essential oils, such as [[eucalyptol]], [[terpene]]s, and [[Methyl eugenol|methyleugenol]], which contribute to their taste and aroma.

Bay leaves are used in [[cuisine]]s including [[Indian cuisine|Indian]], [[Filipino cuisine|Filipino]], [[European cuisine|European]], and [[Caribbean cuisine|Caribbean]]. They are typically used in soups, stews, meat, seafood, and vegetable dishes. The leaves should be removed from the cooked food before eating as they can be abrasive in the [[digestive tract]].

Bay leaves are used as an [[insect repellent]] in pantries and as an active ingredient in [[killing jar]]s for [[entomology]]. In [[Eastern Orthodoxy]] liturgy, they are used to symbolize [[Harrowing of Hell|Jesus' destruction of Hades]] and freeing of the dead.

While some visually similar plants have poisonous leaves, bay leaves are not [[Toxicity|toxic]]. However, they remain stiff even after cooking and may pose a choking hazard or cause harm to the digestive tract if swallowed whole or in large pieces. Canadian food and drug regulations set specific standards for bay leaves, including limits on ash content, moisture levels, and essential oil content.

== Sources ==
Bay leaves come 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|safety]] section below). The leaves are often used to flavour soups, stews, [[braise]]s and [[pâté]]s in many countries. The fresh leaves are very mild and do not develop their full flavour until several weeks after picking and drying.<ref name="Spice Trade: Bay Leaf">{{cite web| url= http://www.spice-trade.com/bay-leaf.html| title= Spice Trade: Bay Leaf| access-date= 2009-04-11| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090412090109/http://www.spice-trade.com/bay-leaf.html| archive-date= 12 April 2009| url-status= dead}}</ref>
* 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 contains the toxin [[umbellulone]],<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Tabanca |first1=Nurhayat |last2=Avonto |first2=Cristina |last3=Wang |first3=Mei |last4=Parcher |first4=Jon F. |last5=Ali |first5=Abbas |last6=Demirci |first6=Betul |last7=Raman |first7=Vijayasankar |last8=Khan |first8=Ikhlas A. |date=2013 |title=Comparative Investigation of Umbellularia californica and Laurus nobilis Leaf Essential Oils and Identification of Constituents Active against Aedes aegypti |url=https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jf4052682 |journal=Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry |language=en |volume=61 |issue=50 |pages=12283–12291 |doi=10.1021/jf4052682 |pmid=24266426 |bibcode=2013JAFC...6112283T |issn=0021-8561|url-access=subscription }}</ref> which can cause [[methemoglobinemia]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Kelsey |first1=Rick G. |last2=McCuistion |first2=Ovid |last3=Karchesy |first3=Joe |date=2007 |title=Bark and Leaf Essential Oil of Umbellularia californica, California Bay Laurel, from Oregon |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1934578X0700200715 |journal=Natural Product Communications |language=en |volume=2 |issue=7 |pages=1934578X0700200 |doi=10.1177/1934578X0700200715 |issn=1934-578X}}</ref><ref>{{cite thesis |last=Mishaw |first=Victor Harold |date= |title=Production of Thymol From California Bay Tree Oil |url=https://www.proquest.com/openview/7a9404a0dc89159b39051d44834120fb/ |degree= Masters|chapter= |publisher=Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn |docket= |oclc= |access-date=}}</ref>
* Indian bay leaf or malabathrum (''[[Cinnamomum tamala]]'', Lauraceae) differs from bay laurel leaves, which are shorter and light- to medium-green in colour, with one large vein down the length of the leaf. Indian bay leaves are about twice as long and wider, usually [[olive green]] in colour, and have three veins running the length of the leaf. Culinarily, Indian bay leaves are quite different, having a fragrance and taste similar to [[Cinnamomum aromaticum|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 rice and to vegetables.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://gernot-katzers-spice-pages.com/engl/Euge_pol.html | title =Spice Pages: Indonesian Bay-Leaf | access-date = 2012-12-01}}</ref>
* [[West Indian]] bay leaf, the leaf of the West Indian bay tree (''[[Pimenta racemosa]]'', Myrtaceae) is used culinarily (especially in Caribbean cuisine) and to produce the [[Eau de Cologne|cologne]] called [[bay rum]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=McHale |first1=D. |last2=Laurie |first2=W.A. |last3=Woof |first3=M.A. |date=1977 |title=Composition of West Indian bay oils |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/0308814677900048 |journal=Food Chemistry |language=en |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=19–25 |doi=10.1016/0308-8146(77)90004-8|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Green |first=Aliza |title=Field Guide to Herbs & Spices: How to Identify, Select, and Use Virtually Every Seasoning on the Market |date=April 21, 2015 |publisher=Quirk Books |location=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America |language=en-US}}</ref>
* Mexican bay leaf (''[[Litsea glaucescens]]'', Lauraceae).<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Raman |first1=Vijayasankar |last2=Bussmann |first2=Rainer |last3=Khan |first3=Ikhlas |date=2017 |title=Which Bay Leaf is in Your Spice Rack? – A Quality Control Study |url=http://www.thieme-connect.de/DOI/DOI?10.1055/s-0043-103963 |journal=Planta Medica |language=en |volume=83 |issue=12/13 |pages=1058–1067 |doi=10.1055/s-0043-103963 |pmid=28249302 |bibcode=2017PlMed..83.1058R |issn=0032-0943|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==Chemical constituents==
The leaves of the European / Mediterranean plant ''[[Laurus nobilis]]'' 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-[[pinene]]s, [[phellandrene]], [[linalool]], [[geraniol]], [[terpineol]], and also contain [[lauric acid]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Laurus nobilis L. |url=https://www.gbif.org/species/144098461 |access-date=2024-05-29 |website=www.gbif.org |language=en}}</ref>

==Taste and aroma==
If eaten whole, ''Laurus nobilis'' bay leaves 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 the leaf is dried, the aroma is herbal, slightly floral, and somewhat similar to [[oregano]] and [[thyme]]. [[Myrcene]], a component of many essential oils used in perfumery, can be extracted from this bay leaf. They also contain [[eugenol]].<ref name="Encyclopedia of Spices: Bay Leaf">{{cite web | url=http://www.theepicentre.com/Spices/bay.html | title=Encyclopedia of Spices: Bay Leaf | access-date=11 April 2009 | archive-date=16 April 2009 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20090416234125/http://www.theepicentre.com/Spices/bay.html | url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Uses==
=== Culinary ===
Bay leaf is typically used in cooking to flavor [[broth]]s, [[grain]]s, [[soup]]s, [[stew]]s and [[Stock (food)|stocks]]. It is typically removed before serving.<ref>{{Cite book |last=The Culinary Institute of America |author-link=The Culinary Institute of America |title=The Professional Chef |publisher=[[Wiley (publisher)|Wiley]] |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-470-42 135-2 |edition=9th |location=Hoboken, New Jersey |page=180}}</ref>

In Indian cuisine, bay laurel leaves are sometimes used in place of [[Cinnamomum tamala|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  leaves are called {{lang|hi-Latn|tezpattā}} ({{lang|hi|तेज़पत्ता}}, in Hindi), Tejpātā (তেজপাতা) in Bengali, তেজ পাত in Assamese and usually rendered into English as Tej Patta.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Spence |first=Charles |date=2023 |title=Why cook with bay leaves? |journal=International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science |language=en |volume=33 |article-number=100766 |doi=10.1016/j.ijgfs.2023.100766|doi-access=free }}</ref>

In the Philippines, dried bay laurel leaves are used in several Filipino dishes, such as [[menudo (stew)|menudo]], [[pares (food)|beef pares]], and [[philippine adobo|adobo]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Ponseca |first1=Nicole |title=I am a Filipino and this is how we cook |last2=Trinidad |first2=Miguel |date=2018 |publisher=Artisan |isbn=978-1-57965-767-3 |location=New York}}</ref> Bay leaves were used for flavouring by the ancient Greeks.<ref>[http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/botany/trees.htm "Ancient Egyptian Plants: Trees" ''www.reshafim.org.il''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131031195750/http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/botany/trees.htm |date=2013-10-31 }} Retrieved October 29, 2013</ref> They are a fixture in the cooking of many European cuisines (particularly those of the [[Mediterranean cuisine|Mediterranean]]), as well as in the Americas. They are used in soups, stews, brines, meat, seafood, vegetable dishes, and sauces. The leaves also flavour many classic French and Italian dishes. The leaves are most often used whole (sometimes in a {{lang|fr|[[bouquet garni]]}}) and removed before serving (they can be abrasive in the digestive tract). [[Thai cuisine|Thai]] and [[Laotian cuisine]] employs bay leaf ({{langx|th|ใบกระวาน}}, {{lang|th-Latn|bai kra wān}}) in a few Arab-influenced dishes, notably [[massaman curry]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Tan |first=Hugh T. W.
|title=Herbs & Spices of Thailand |publisher=Marshall Cavendish |year=2005 |page=71 }}</ref>

Bay leaves can also be crushed or ground before cooking. Crushed bay leaves impart more fragrance than whole leaves, but are more difficult to remove and thus they are often used in a [[muslin]] bag or [[tea infuser]]. Ground bay laurel may be substituted for whole leaves and does not need to be removed, but it is much stronger.{{Cn|date=December 2024}}

To brew tea, bay leaves are best boiled for a brief period—typically 3 minutes—to prevent bitterness, as prolonged boiling may overpower the tea's flavour. Fresh bay leaves impart a stronger aroma, while dried leaves require longer steeping for a similar effect.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ottier-Hart |first=Rachael |date=2021-08-05 |title=How to Brew the Perfect Bay Leaf Tea (with VIDEO) {{!}} Classic Bakes |url=https://classicbakes.com/recipes/how-brew-perfect-bay-leaf-tea-video |access-date=2025-01-02 |website=ClassicBakes.com |language=en}}</ref>

Bay leaves are also used in the making of [[jerk chicken]] in the Caribbean Islands.<ref>{{Cite book |last=DeMers |first=John |title=Authentic Recipes from Jamaica |date=March 13, 2012 |publisher=Tuttle Publishing |language=en}}</ref> The bay leaves are soaked and placed on the cool side of the grill. Pimento sticks are placed on top of the leaves, and the chicken is placed on top and smoked. The leaves are also added whole to soups, stews, and other [[Caribbean]] dishes.<ref>{{cite news |title=Caribbean Currents: Bay leaf has a special place in Caribbean homes |url=https://www.phillytrib.com/caribbean-currents-bay-leaf-has-a-special-place-in-caribbean-homes/article_3c4b3cf4-78cc-5815-a605-81cabf356384.html |access-date=20 June 2024 |publisher=The Philadelphia Tribune |date=26 May 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Clarke |first1=Denise |title=5 Ways to Make the Best Jerk Chicken |url=https://jamaicans.com/5-ways-make-best-jerk-chicken/ |website=Jamaicans.com |date=17 June 2017 |publisher=Simbis Inc. |access-date=20 June 2024}}</ref>

Bay leaves may also be used in desserts such as cakes, cookies, ice creams, puddings and more.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Why Bay Leaves Are Essential in Everything From Curry to Dessert |url=https://www.marthastewart.com/what-is-a-bay-leaf-8611639 |access-date=2025-10-13 |website=Martha Stewart |language=en}}</ref> They can be baked into the surface of a dessert or tempered in a fat such as milk or butter to release their fat-soluble flavor compounds.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Seneviratne |first=Samantha |date=2019-05-08 |title=We Just Started Baking with Infused Butters, and Now We're Never Going Back |url=https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/infused-butter-baking-how-to-give-cakes-flavor-of-herbs-spices-article |access-date=2025-10-13 |website=Epicurious |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-01-23 |title=What do bay leaves do? A lot, if you use them right. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2023/01/23/bay-leaves-do-they-matter/ |access-date=2025-10-13 |work=The Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref>

=== Other ===
Bay leaves can also be used scattered in a [[pantry]] to repel [[meal moth]]s,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.care2.com/greenliving/repel-grain-moths-with-bay-leaves.html |title=How to Repel Grain Moths with Bay Leaves |access-date=2009-04-11 }}</ref> flies,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Palacios |first1=S |last2=Bertoni |first2=A |last3=Rossi |first3=Y |last4=Santander |first4=R |last5=Urzua |first5=A |year=2009 |title=Efficacy of Essential Oils from Edible Plants as Insecticides Against the House Fly, ''Musca domestica'' L. |journal=Molecules |volume=14 |issue=5 |pages=1938–1947 |doi=10.3390/molecules14051938 |pmid=19471213 |pmc=6254201 |doi-access=free }}</ref> and cockroaches.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Naturally Occurring Pest Bioregulators |volume=449 |doi=10.1021/bk-1991-0449 |series=ACS Symposium Series |year=1991 |isbn=978-0-8412-1897-0 |last1=Hedin |first1=Paul Arthur |last2=Hedin |first2=Paul A. |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/naturallyoccurri00paul }}</ref> Mediouni-Ben Jemaa and Tersim 2011 find the [[essential oil]] to be usable as an [[insect repellent]].<ref name="Moharramipour-Negahban-2014">{{cite book | editor-last=Sahayaraj | editor-first=K. | last1=Moharramipour | first1=Saeid | last2=Negahban | first2=Maryam | title=Basic and Applied Aspects of Biopesticides | chapter=Plant Essential Oils and Pest Management | publisher=[[Springer India]] | publication-place=[[New Delhi]] | year=2014 | isbn=978-81-322-1876-0 | oclc=884262582 | pages=129–153}} {{ISBN|978-81-322-1877-7}}.</ref>{{rp|131}}

Bay leaves have been used in [[entomology]] as the active ingredient in [[killing jar]]s. The crushed, fresh, young leaves are put into the jar under a layer of paper. The vapors they release kill insects slowly but effectively and keep the specimens relaxed and easy to mount. The leaves discourage the growth of molds. They are not effective for killing large beetles and similar specimens, but insects that have been killed in a cyanide killing jar can be transferred to a laurel jar to await mounting.<ref  name=JohnSmart>{{cite book | last = Smart | first = John | title = British Museum (Natural History) Instructions for Collectors NO. 4A. Insects | publisher = Trustees of the British Museum | location = London | year = 1963  }}</ref> There is confusion in the literature about whether ''Laurus nobilis'' is a source of cyanide to any practical extent, but there is no evidence that cyanide is relevant to its value in killing jars. It certainly is rich in various essential oil components that could incapacitate insects in high concentrations; such compounds include [[Eucalyptol|1,8-cineole]], alpha-terpinyl acetate, and [[methyl eugenol]].<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Marzouki | first1 = H | last2 = Piras | first2 = A | last3 = Salah | first3 = KB | last4 = Medini | first4 = H | last5 = Pivetta | first5 = T | last6 = Bouzid | first6 = S | last7 = Marongiu | first7 = B | last8 = Falconieri | first8 = D | year = 2009 | title = Essential oil composition and variability of Laurus nobilis L. growing in Tunisia, comparison and chemometric investigation of different plant organs | journal = Nat Prod Res | volume = 23 | issue = 4| pages = 343–54 | doi = 10.1080/14786410802076200 | pmid = 19296375 | s2cid = 5971542 }}</ref> It also is unclear to what extent the alleged effect of cyanide released by the crushed leaves has been mis-attributed to ''Laurus nobilis'' in confusion with the unrelated ''[[Prunus laurocerasus]]'', the so-called cherry laurel, which certainly does contain dangerous concentrations of cyanogenic glycosides<ref name= "vWvHvO">{{cite book |last1=van Wyk |first1=Ben-Erik |last2=van Heerden |first2=Fanie |last3=van Oudtshoorn |first3=Bosch |title=Poisonous Plants of South Africa |publisher=Briza |location=Pretoria |year=2002 |isbn=978-1875093304}}</ref> together with the enzymes to generate the [[hydrogen cyanide]] from the glycosides if the leaf is physically damaged.<ref name="SchomburgSalzmann2013">{{cite book|author1=Dietmar Schomburg|author2=Margit Salzmann|title=Enzyme Handbook: Volume 1: Class 4: Lyases|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8uf7CAAAQBAJ&pg=PT270|date=11 November 2013|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|isbn=978-3-642-86605-0|pages=270–}}</ref>

Bay leaves are used in [[Eastern Orthodoxy]] liturgy. To mark [[Jesus]]' [[Harrowing of Hell#Orthodoxy|destruction of Hades]] and freeing of the dead, parishioners throw bay leaves and flowers into the air, letting them flutter to the ground.<ref>{{cite web |title=ORTHODOX BELIEF: JESUS WENT TO HELL |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1997-04-28-9704280142-story.html |website=Chicago Tribune |date=28 April 1997 |access-date=23 April 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

==Safety==
Some members of the laurel family, as well as the unrelated but visually similar [[Kalmia latifolia|mountain laurel]] and [[Prunus laurocerasus|cherry laurel]], have leaves that are poisonous to humans and livestock.<ref name= "vWvHvO"/> While these plants are not sold anywhere for culinary use, their visual similarity to bay leaves has led to the oft-repeated belief that bay leaves should be removed from food after cooking because they are poisonous. This is not true; bay leaves may be eaten without toxic effect. However, they remain unpleasantly stiff even after thorough cooking, and if swallowed whole or in large pieces they may pose a risk of harming the digestive tract or causing choking.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/bay-leaf-should-it-stay-or-should-it-go/2014/09/30/131eb444-429e-11e4-9a15-137aa0153527_story.html|title=Bay leaf: Should it stay or should it go?|first=Bonnie S.|last=Benwick|date=30 September 2014|access-date=5 January 2018|newspaper=Washington Post}}</ref> Thus, most recipes that use bay leaves will recommend their removal after the cooking process has finished.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2695/what-is-the-origin-of-the-song-theres-a-place-in-france-where-the-naked-ladies-dance | first =  Cecil | last = Adams | work = The Straight Dope | title = What is the origin of the song "There's a place in France/Where the naked ladies dance?" Are bay leaves poisonous? | access-date = 2009-04-11| date =2007-02-23 }}</ref>

=== Canadian food and drug regulations ===
The Canadian government requires that ground bay leaves contain no more than 4.5% total [[ash]] material, with a maximum of 0.5% of which is [[insoluble]] in [[hydrochloric acid]]. To be considered dried, they must contain 7% moisture or less. The oil content cannot be less than 1 millilitre per 100 grams of the spice.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/C.R.C.,_c._870/page-37.html#h-570402|title = Consolidated federal laws of Canada, Food and Drug Regulations|access-date = 2020-09-17|date = 2019-06-03}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Laurus}}
{{Cookbook|Bay Leaf}}

{{Herbs & spices}}
{{Non-timber forest products}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bay Leaf}}
[[Category:Herbs]]
[[Category:Leaves]]
[[Category:Non-timber forest products]]
[[Category:Plant common names]]