Description
It is native of Asia Minor and is known by the name of ‘Sweet bay’, ‘bay laurel’, ‘Noble laurel’ and ‘True laurel’. Indian bay leaf has similar fragrance and taste to cinnamon bark, but milder. The aroma is more closely related to cassia. The flavor can be improved and bitterness reduced by using appropriate drying procedure, bitterness is significantly reduced. The leaves are immediately dried after plucking without exposing them to sunlight After manual plucking and sorting, the leaves are quickly dried without exposure to sunlight. The bright green color clearly defines the quality of the bay leaves.
Bay leaf consist of essential oil including 1, 8 cineol, eugenol, acetyl eugenol, methyl eugenol, a- and ß-pinene, phellandrene, linalool, geraniol and terpineol. Aroma of the leave is determined by terpenes cinnamic acid and its methyl ester.
Used as an insecticides to keep moths away .Treats physical problems like:
• High blood sugar
• Migraine
• Headaches
• Bacterial and Fungal Infections
• Gastric Ulcers
Bay leaf essential oil is also used to relieve muscular soreness and enhance blood circulation. It is also used to prevent hair loss.
Bay leaves are used for preparing sauces, soups, daubes and stews. They are also used for flavoring and seasoning for fish, meat and poultry. They are commonly used for preparing pickles. Bay leaf is often included as a pickling spice.
