Bay Leaf - Recipes ingridient

Bay leaf called sheets “laurel”, belonging to the family of laurel. His homelands are the countries of Asia Minor and the Mediterranean. This is one of the most ancient spices that people use.

Essential oil obtained from bay leaves is used in the production of alcoholic beverages and in confectionery. Bay leaf is also used in medicine, in the chemical industry, used as raw material for the production of cyneol and camphor.

Wreaths of branches and leaves of a laurel-crowned the heads of the winners of the competition and the heroes of the campaigns and wars in the Roman Empire and Ancient Greece and the tree of laurel was sacred for them. In the Middle Ages, laurel was a symbol of good and was considered the protector from lightning and evil. The word “laureate” comes from “laurel”, which literally means “crowned with laurels.”

At the present time, laurel grows in almost all countries that are climatically suitable for cultivation. These are Turkey, Greece, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, the Caucasus countries, Albania, Guatemala, the Crimea peninsula.

How to choose

Bay leaf should be dark green, without any stains on the surface. High-quality bay leaf has not only a good appearance but also a pleasant, rather strong aroma. All the beneficial properties of bay leaf are preserved both fresh and dry. Dry bay leaves are best placed in an airtight container for longer preservation of aroma. Thus, the sheet can be stored for more than 2 months.

In cooking

In cooking, bay leaf is considered one of the most common seasonings. Dried and ground bay leaves, as well as its seeds,  are used much more often than fresh.

In 1652, the personal chef of Marie de Medici, Francois Pierre de la Varenp, in his world-famous culinary book, noted that the laurel is able to improve and correct the taste of almost all dishes and recommended to introduce it into puddings and desserts.

Bay leaf is used in sauces, marinades, soups, broths, in the preparation of fish and meat, as well as salty and sour dishes. It is indispensable for the preservation of tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, cabbage, zucchini, beets. It gives good taste and great aroma to various sauces, goulash, jelly.

The composition and availability of nutrients

Bay leaf has tremendous nutritional value, it contains proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, essential oils, dietary fiber, vitamins of group B, C, A, PP, as well as micro and macro elements: sodium, magnesium, zinc, potassium, copper, iron, selenium, manganese and phosphorus.

Useful and healing properties

Famous doctors of antiquity used a bay leaf as a miracle cure for a large number of diseases. According to Hippocrates, laurel oil helps with convulsions, and he advised applying laurel leaves to reduce painful sensations during labor. Avicenna believed that bay leaf well helps with joint pain, nervous tension, shortness of breath, and the seeds and bark of laurel are indispensable for urolithiasis and cholecystitis.

And at the present time, Laurel is widely used in traditional medicine. It is used to enhance the appetite, improve digestion, relieve puffiness, lower blood pressure, in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and arthrosis, enhance immunity, to suppress the tubercle bacillus.

Laurel has a stimulating, astringent, diuretic, antifungal, and antibacterial effect; it is used for prophylactic purposes and for the treatment of fever, stomatitis, nervous disorders, colic, amenorrhea, and even as an emetic and sudorific. The essential oil, obtained from fruits, flowers, and leaves, is an excellent insecticidal and disinfectant, is used in the treatment of bruises and sprains, is part of antiseptic soap and some ointments.

Also, bay leaf is used in the treatment of cancer patients. For example, for the treatment of throat cancer, they use this tincture: a glass of milled bay leaves is poured with 500 ml of vodka and infused for two weeks and then filtered. Take three times a day on a tablespoon 30 minutes before meals.

Even from the bay leaf make a very effective infusion for diabetics. To do this, you need 10 bay leaves to pour 750 ml of boiling water and infuse for about 2-3 hours, then strain. It is recommended to accept infusion every day on 100 ml.

If there are problems with the joints, then this decoction is almost indispensable: 5 g of laurel leaves should be poured 300 g of water and brought to a boil, boil for 5 minutes, and then insist in a thermos somewhere 4-5 hours and filter. The broth should be drunk in small sips throughout the day, you can not drink the whole broth at once. Women may have uterine bleeding. It is recommended to drink this broth for 3 days, then take a week off and repeat the treatment.