What does Indian bay leaf taste like?
The aroma and flavour of Indian Bay leaves is strongly reminiscent of cinnamon, cloves and cassia. To obtain the utmost benefit the dried leaves should be crushed before adding to a dish. Never substitute a European Bay leaf when Indian Bay leaves are specified in a recipe as the flavour is entirely different.
What are the different types of bay leaves used in cooking?
Adding a fresh California bay leaf to a recipe could overpower the flavors of the dish and, thus, dried Turkish bay leaves are often preferred. Other varieties of bay leaves are used throughout the world, including the West Indian bay leaf and Indonesian bay leaf.
What is Indian bay leaves used for?
Dried and ground, Indian Bay leaves are added to spice mixes – Garam Masalas – from which regional dishes such as Kashmiri curries are flavoured. Indian Bay leaves are also a key flavour in the mainly vegetarian cuisine of the Terai region, located on the plains beneath the Himalayan foothills.
Can I substitute Indian bay leaves for European bay leaves?
Never substitute a European Bay leaf when Indian Bay leaves are specified in a recipe as the flavour is entirely different. Simply omit them from the dish or consider using a piece of cinnamon bark instead. Originating on the southern slopes of the Himalayas, they grow mainly in Nepal, Bhutan, Burma and in the mountains of North-eastern India.
Appearance
West Indian bay leaves vary in size. They can range from 2 to 5 inches in height and can be as wide as 2 1/2 inches. The leaves are thick and shiny with a color ranging from bright green to bottle green. The darker the leaves, the more mature and robust the flavor.
Bay Leaves' Many Uses
Bay leaves are used for cooking rice dishes, soups and stews in the Caribbean, just as they are in other parts of the world. They're most prized when cooked in porridge, such as with oats or plantains.
Precautions
Only the leaves of pimenta racemosa can be used in cooking and teas. All other parts of the plant, including the small black berries surrounded by a lacy network of white flowers, are not edible and should not be ingested. Despite the name, the "rum" isn't drinkable—it's toxic.
Types of Bay Leaves
Commercially bought Bay leaves come in different forms that is fresh, dry or powdered there are also different types of bay leaves varieties.
What Do Bay Leaves Taste Like
Although a popular spice to be used in cooking, the taste of bay leaves is also a debatable.
How To Use Them for Cooking
Although the taste and flavour of the spice can be argued, there is no doubt in the many uses of bay leaves in cooking.
How Much Bay Leaf To Use ?
Being a mild spice, you can use 2-4 whole bay leaves for making a serving of 4-6 people.
Can You Eat Bay Leaves?
Bay leaves is a food grade which means it is absolutely safe for consumption.
Health Benefits of Bay Leaves
There isn’t much scientific evidence to support the health benefits of bay leaves.
Best Food Pairing & Substitute
Being a mild aromatic spice or herb, bay leaves is a versatile spice and goes well with any food item and mostly all spices.
Chemical constituents
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, terpineol, and also contain lauric acid .
Taste and aroma
If eaten whole, 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 dried the aroma is herbal, slightly floral, and somewhat similar to oregano and thyme.
Uses
In Indian 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 called tezpattā ( तेज़पत्ता, in Hindi) and তেজ পাত in Assamese.
Safety
Some members of the laurel family, as well as the unrelated but visually similar mountain laurel and cherry laurel have leaves that are poisonous to humans and livestock.
Uses, Benefits, and Recipes
Danilo Alfaro has published more than 800 recipes and tutorials focused on making complicated culinary techniques approachable to home cooks.
What Are Bay Leaves?
Bay leaves come from the bay laurel plant, an evergreen shrub that grows slowly in warm climates. The plants are grown for ornamental use and dried and used in cooking. The thick and leathery leaves are elongated with pointy ends. Most often, recipes call for dried bay leaves, which have a slightly stronger scent than fresh.
Varieties of Bay Leaves
There are two main varieties of culinary bay leaves: Turkish (or Mediterranean) bay leaves and California bay leaves. The Turkish variety is the most common, with a more subtle flavor compared to California bay leaves, which have more potency and a slightly mint taste.
Origins
Other varieties of bay leaves are used throughout the world, including the West Indian bay leaf and Indonesian bay leaf. There are a few species of bay leaf that are poisonous, specifically the cherry laurel and mountain laurel, but these varieties aren't sold as herbs.
Fresh vs. Dried
Fresh bay leaves are shiny green on top with a paler green on the underside. As the leaves dry, the color becomes uniform and muted. The flavor also intensifies. Fresh bay leaves are often much more expensive and do not last as long as dried bay leaves.
What Do They Taste Like?
Since bay leaves aren't eaten, the flavor is more about what they bring to a recipe—and that is up for much debate. Many cooks believe that bay leaves don't contribute any taste at all while others find the herb adds a subtle depth of flavor.
Cooking With Bay Leaves
Because the leaves do not soften as they cook, bay leaves are added to simmering sauces or included in a braising liquid, and then removed before serving. The leaves have sharp points that can cut the mouth, cause choking, or even slice into the digestive tract.
Are Curry Leaves And Bay Leaves The Same Thing
The name ‘curry’ to describe curry leaves as well as the reference of Indian dishes popularly called a ‘Curry’ adds to the confusion.
Curry vs Bay leaves – Whats the Difference?
Cooking Indian food involves the uses of different types of spices and few herbs. Some of the common leaf spices used in Indian cuisine are:
Can You Substitute Curry Leaves With Bay Leaves
Curry leaves can be a bit tricky to find and therefore quite often people substitute bay leaves for curry leaves.
Conclusion
Curry leaves and bay leaves are two different types of spices used in cooking. While curry leaves is mostly used in Indian and South – Asian cuisines, bay leaves is popular world wide.
All About Laurel Leaves
Laurel leaves have a long and interesting history that reaches far beyond just cooking. A Greek myth tells of Apollo, the sun god making fun of Eros’ (Cupid) archery technique. Eros got his revenge by shooting a golden arrow at Apollo, making him fall madly in love with the nymph Daphne.
Other Leaves Called Bay Leaves
Bay laurel leaves – This is Laurus Nobilis which we’ve been discussing so far and is widely used in lots of European and Mediterranean cooking.
Cooking with Bay Laurel Leaves
So, with the answer to the question, “What’s the difference between bay leaves and laurel leaves?” out of the way, we can talk about how these wonderful leaves are used in cooking. And from now on, let’s call them “bay laurel leaves”.
Other Uses for Bay Laurel Leaves
People around the world put bay laurel leaves in their food, but they’re good for more than just that.
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Final Thoughts
As we’ve explained, there isn’t a difference, really. Bay leaves, laurel leaves, and even bay laurel leaves are all one and the same ingredient, a lovely herb used to add a great, full-bodied aroma to a wide variety of food from cuisines all around the world.
