Many world cuisines for centuries have been using this leaf to enhance their dish and now a few food enthusiasts claim that the herb does not really add any flavour to food.
What are bay leaves?
The leaf is extracted from the bay laurel tree in the Mediterranean region and it is believed that the leaf has a strong taste which is a combination of pine, clove, lavender, and eucalyptus. Though the bay leaf does not smell strong, when cooked, the essence and flavour are said to be completely soaked in the dish.
An experimental psychologist and gastrophysics Charles Spence who is working as a professor at the University of Oxford in his paper published in 2023 noted that the leaf has a bitter taste to it. He explained that his brother, who is a chef, also shared the same opinion. He added that the dishes that were cooked without the leaf missed some taste in it. In his paper, he also explained that the bay leaves have different aromas based on their variety.
The leaf which generally grows in California or North America is referred to as Umbellularia Californica and it has more pine and citrus taste to it when compared to the Mediterranean region leaf which has more menthol and eucalyptus taste to it. Another study done in 1981 noted that the leaf tasted more like cilantro. A test was conducted with 85 participants and one-third of the participants mentioned their inability to taste the leaf while the rest thought it tasted like cilantro.
How to use bay leaves?
Make sure to buy high-quality bay leaves as they might have some aroma to them. The perfect bay leaf looks bright green with veins running from the stem through the leaf. Do not buy leaves that are grey or brown as they might be stale. The leaf could have been stored for a longer time in cold conditions because of its long processing time and the leaves could have turned stale even before being purchased from the shop.
Use the leaf in the initial stages of cooking as it might taste bitter when added to the dish later. The leaf is used throughout the process of cooking but is removed right before serving and the taste of it depends on the variety, freshness, and its unique flavour.
They have a pungent and bitter taste when eaten raw and it turns aromatic when cooked. The leaves are typically used to add flavor to dishes but are not eaten directly due to their tough texture.
