Bay leaves

Appears in
Soup: A Way of Life
Soup

By Barbara Kafka

Published 1998

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I have small bay trees (Laurus nobilis) growing in both New York and Vermont. In these climates, they have to come in the house in winter. I don’t mind as much with these plants, or with rosemary, when, due to a case of black thumb, they die. The dry leaves are perfectly good for culinary use.

I feel strongly about using this sweet laurel or sweet bay in cooking instead of the California “bay” leaves, which are unrelated and have a nasty resinous taste and smell. When buying bay leaves, check the label for the words “imported,” “European,” or “Turkish.”