Natural form

Whole dried bay leaves showing the oval shape, matte surface, and pale olive-green color.

Establishes the dried whole form — the primary commercial and culinary form — so readers recognize bay leaves as sold and stored.

Herbs

Bay Leaf

Aromatic leaf that infuses depth into soups and braises

Tossed whole into a simmering pot, bay leaf lends a subtle, herbal depth to soups, stews, and stocks — then fished out before serving. Always used dried; store airtight.

The bay leaf is the leathery, aromatic leaf of the bay laurel, used whole to lend a subtle herbal, faintly menthol-and-eucalyptus depth to anything that simmers long — soups, stews, stocks, braises, beans, and tomato sauce. It works in the background: you rarely taste bay directly, but its absence leaves a dish flatter and less rounded. Because the stiff leaf never softens, it's always fished out before serving. Mediterranean (Turkish) bay is gentler and rounder than the medicinal, eucalyptus-heavy California bay. Used dried more often than fresh, as drying mellows its harsher edge.

Measured in: g
Storage: Airtight

Find it in

Spices Seasoning

Types & varieties

Turkish (Mediterranean) bay

Gentle, rounded, slightly floral — the everyday culinary leaf.

California bay

Much stronger, eucalyptus-forward — use less.

Indian bay (tej patta)

A different leaf with a cinnamon-clove aroma for biryani and curries.

How to use

Drop one or two whole leaves into a simmering pot at the start and let them infuse over the long cook, then remove before serving. Score or crack a leaf to release a bit more aroma. It works best as a supporting note, not a lead flavor.

Add at the beginning of a long simmer
Always remove before serving — it never softens
One or two leaves is usually plenty

Fresh vs dried

Bay is one of the rare herbs typically used dried, since drying mellows a harsh, almost bitter edge in the fresh leaf. Fresh bay is more potent and slightly different — use a bit less if substituting.

Common uses

Soups, stocks, and brothsBraises and stewsBeans and lentilsTomato and meat sauces (Bolognese)Pickling and brining liquidsRice and biryani (Indian bay)Béchamel infusion

Tips & pitfalls

Always remove bay leaves before serving — the stiff leaf is a choking hazard.
Crack or score a dried leaf to coax out a touch more aroma.
You notice bay most when it's missing, not when it's there.
Turkish bay is milder; California bay needs a lighter hand.
Replace dried bay yearly — old leaves are flavorless cardboard.

Nutrition

313kcal

Energy

1310 kJ · per 100 g

Where the calories come from

Protein 8%Carbs 74%Fat 19%

Protein

7.6g

15% DV

Carbs

75g

27% DV

Fat

8.4g

11% DV

Fiber

26.3g

94% DV

Sodium

23mg

1% DV

Notable micronutrients

Iron239% DV

Vitamin B6102% DV

Calcium64% DV

Vitamin C52% DV

Folate45% DV

Vitamin A34% DV

Source · USDA FoodData Central · approx. Spices, bay leaf

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In the shops

Matched grocery products

No matched grocery products for Bay Leaf yet.

Good to know

Flavor: Subtle, herbal, faintly menthol and eucalyptus
Form: Whole leaf, usually dried
Add when: Early — needs long, slow simmering to release flavor
Cuisines: Mediterranean, French, Indian, Latin American
How to buy: Turkish (mild) over California (strong); whole, intact leaves
How to store: Airtight and dark; loses potency after about a year

Substitutes

Thyme sprig — Offers comparable background depth in a long simmer.
A pinch of dried oregano or boldo — Approximate the herbal note when bay is unavailable.

Pairs with

Onion Thyme Garlic TomatoBlack peppercornsBeans Carrot

Also called

bay leaves · laurel · llorer · fulla de llorer