Description:
Bay leaves come from the Indian cassia tree, the leaves being harvested when the tree is 10 years old. Bay leaves are collected every alternate year and are sun dried for 3 to 4 days before being sent to the market. In Europe, a certain variety of bay leaves are used fresh.
How to select:
Dried bay leaves are dull sage-green in colour and quite brittle. They have a sweet, woody aroma, quite like that of cinnamon and a neutral, slightly pungent flavour. They are added to food to scent rather than flavour it.
Use:
Used chiefly in rice cookery in North India, bay leaves are usually removed from a dish before serving. They are added to hot oil before the main ingredient as frying releases their sweet perfume. In the West, they are used to flavour stuffings and sauces
In India, they constitute a part of garam masala. They are also put into some pot-pourri mixtures, into pickles and bottled fruits.
How to store:
Store in an airtight container for upto 6 months
Health benefits:
The leaves are carminative and used to treat colic and diarrhoea.
WARNING : Always remove European bay leaves from the dish before serving as they are poisonous. Indian bay leaves are not.
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