from the tree Laurus nobilis, is one of the most widely used herbs in European and N. American cooking. The tree is indigenous to the Mediterranean region, but will grow much further north. It belongs to the family Lauraceae, which also includes cassia, cinnamon, sassafras, and the avocado.
The bay was the laurel with which poets and victorious warriors and athletes were crowned in classical times. In French it has kept the name laurier; and a notorious trap for translators of French recipes is to render this as ‘laurel leaves’, which in English may be taken to mean the larger leaves of Prunus laurocerasus, the cherry laurel; these can be used in minuscule quantity for flavouring custards and the like, but are harmful in larger amounts.
Bay leaves appear as a constituent of a bouquet garni, in a court bouillon, and in many forms of marinade. In N. Europe they are regularly used in fish dishes and in fish pickles or marinades. In many countries a bay leaf is added to potatoes which are to be boiled. However, their use is not confined to savoury dishes. In Britain they have often been used for flavouring custards and milk puddings.
In the north-west of the USA, the leaves of Umbellularia californica, the California bay (or California laurel, or Oregon myrtle), are used in similar ways for savoury dishes. They have a stronger flavour than European bay leaves.
‘Bay leaves’ in the Indian subcontinent are likely to be leaves of the cassia tree, Cinnamomum aromaticum.
In the W. Indies, the name bay leaf is used for the leaf of the ‘bay-rum tree’, Pimenta racemosa (in the family Myricaceae), whose bark and fruits are used for flavouring by cooks and whose leaf oil is an industrial food flavouring.
Alan Davidson was a distinguished author and publisher, and one of the world's best-known writers on fish and fish cookery. In 1975 he retired early from the diplomatic service—after serving in, among other places, Washington, Egypt, Tunisia, and Laos, where he was British Ambassador—to pursue a fruitful second career as a food historian and food writer extraordinaire. Among his popular books are Seafood of South-East Asia, North Atlantic Seafood, and Mediterranean Seafood. In 2003, shortly before his death, he was awarded the Erasmus Prize for his contribution to European culture.
