Are Turkish Bay Leaves "Normal" Bay leaves?
I recently saw a recipe that called for Turkish Bay Leaves. Is this any different than the kind I would find in a standard spice bottle labeled "Bay Leaves", or is this a form of exotic marketing? Are there even different types of Bay Leaves?
Best Answer
Are there even different types of Bay Leaves?
There is the California Bay Laurel Umbellularia californica.
Turkish Bay is Laurus nobilis
(https://nicholsgardennursery.wordpress.com/2008/06/20/laurus-nobilis-the-true-bay/)
We have an California Bay Laurel (AKA Oregon Myrtle) growing in our yard. While looking the same and smelling like normal store bought bay leafs like from Spice Island, it is 10 times more pungent. I used it once and that was the last time.
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Are bay leaves and Turkish bay leaves the same?
There are two main varieties: California bay leaves, which tend to be longer and thinner with a more potent and slightly minty flavor and Turkish bay leaves (also called Mediterranean), which have shorter, fatter leaves and a more subtle flavor.Are all bay leaves Turkish?
It comes from a shrubby evergreen tree, a different species altogether from the bay, or laurel, tree that produces Turkish bay leaves and grows throughout the Mediterranean. California bay leaves have a potent, eucalyptus-like flavor, whereas Turkish bay leaves have a tea-like, mildly menthol flavor profile.How many types of bay leaves do we have?
There are two main varieties of culinary bay leaves: Turkish (or Mediterranean) bay leaves and California bay leaves. The Turkish variety is the most common, with a more subtle flavor compared to California bay leaves, which have more potency and a slightly mint taste.Are Turkish bay leaves edible?
Whether dried or fresh, Turkish bay leaves' milder flavor can round out the flavor of a dish over time, whereas potent American bay leaves can quickly overpower a dish.More answers regarding are Turkish Bay Leaves "Normal" Bay leaves?
Answer 2
According to The Spice House:
The flavor of these Turkish bay leaves is far milder and more complex than that of domestic bay; it adds a subtly sweet astringency to dishes. Only one or two are needed to enhance a whole roast, pot of soup or stew.
Answer 3
I consider them "normal"; they're the oval-shaped bay leaves. There's a "California" bay leaf variety that has elongated leaves and a slightly different flavor.
Answer 4
So there are two plants which are called "bay leaves"; the Turkish Bay Laurel (Laurus Nobilis) and the California Bay Laurel (Umbellularia californica), as other answers have noted. What's "normal" honestly depends on where you live and what kind of recipe you're making.
European recipes are going to expect bay leaves to be Turkish, because that's the tree that originated bay leaves as a spice in Europe. Mexican recipes, and ones from the American West, are going to expect California Bay. For any other region, it's kind of random.
If you buy dried "bay leaves", what you get is going to depend on sourcing; you're best reading the label. The two species are largely interchangeable in most recipes, which makes life easier, with one exception: if you specifically need fresh bay leaves, go Turkish. California bay leaves are less flavorful when fresh, and have a waxy texture.
Answer 5
Figured I'd check the site of the brand I use. Turns out they are Turkish:
The bay tree is native to the Mediterranean region and Asia Minor. The bay or laurel tree grows well in the subtropics and is cultivated today as a spice in the Far East as well as the Canary Islands, France, Belgium, Mexico, Central America and Turkey (where McCormick's bay leaves are grown).
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Images: Tom Fisk, Nikolay Draganov, Adrian Griffin, jiawei cui