Are bay leaves the most underrated spice in your kitchen?

Every time you make a grocery list or your mother makes you hold theirs, do you find bay leaf on it? Enter the kitchen to start a new recipe and you see in the first three steps a bay leaf being thrown into the pan or pot. Have you ever wondered why, this dry-looking leaf, without much aroma or taste, is always used, given that as soon as the food is ready, they are the first ones to be thrown out? With an increasing focus on superfoods, one needs to keep in mind that bay leaves are a silent superfood, a catalyst which enhances the flavour and sacrifices itself to the dust-bin in the end.

How do bay leaves benefit the body?

Bay leaves, scientifically called laurus nobilis are always used in its dried form. While often overlooked due to its dull brownish-olive-grey colour and its dry state, if you actually happen to bring it close and inhale, you would be greeted by a floral, herbal scent which can often remind you of a mixture of oregano, thyme and pines. Bay leaves also come in several varieties, and the Indian ones lean towards the cinnamon-y flavour.

With eugenol, cineole, and linalool, bay leaves display remarkable anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties. It helps in reducing inflammation and fighting pathogens.  Complete with Vitamins A,C and B-complex along with iron, calcium, manganese and magnesium, it makes sure that the correct nutrients reach the body. Bay leaves contain essential oils. While part of it helps in soothing anxiety and stress, the other part also helps it act as a natural insect repellant. 

Bay leaves are often used in most dishes to help you have an easier digestion. In fact, it is a major component of Ayurvedic cooking and natural medicine, which reduces bloating and aids appetite formation. The enzymes break down the proteins in the body and vouches for a smooth bowel movement. It helps in maintaining blood pressure and blood sugar balance due to its rutin and caffeic acid content.

Why use bay leaves?

So, the primary question would be, what does ‘bay leaves’ do, if one cannot even taste it? It helps in enhancing the flavour. From soups, stews, rice, pulao, sauces, curries, gravies and more, the bay leaf or the tej patta as we call it, is omnipresent. Interestingly, while it has no flavour of its own, it helps in balancing flavours for your taste. For those dishes which are either oil –rich or flavour rich, the presence of a bay leaf removes the after-taste from your mouth. And it adds a subtle aroma to the dish which is often overlooked.

How to use bay leaves?

Put 1-2 bay leaves in the hot pan where you will be making your dish. This is the standard way of using bay leaves and easily noticeable in all kitchens. Moreover, at times, you can also slightly dry roast it and use it or grind it into a powder with other spices and use as required. Sometimes, simmer 1-2 bay leaves in water and consume it as tea. Or, crush them and use them in your bath water for its anti-inflammatory properties.

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