Bay leaf
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Every diet
No carbohydrate.
Fine for most people at normal amounts.
Rules by country
Bay leaf is a dried herb rather than an additive, so it carries no E-number and none of the three regulators has assessed it as one. In the United States and the EU it falls under the general provisions for herbs and spices, which require safe sourcing and controls for mould and Salmonella, and it must appear in the ingredient list of any food it flavours.
What is it?
Bay leaf is the leaf of the bay laurel tree, sold whole, crushed or ground into a powder. Its aroma comes from essential oils, chiefly cineole and pinene, and it is one of the few herbs that keeps its flavor through a long simmer without turning bitter. A single leaf weighs about 0.1 gram, and the usual dose is one or two leaves in a pot for four people.
Where it comes from: The dried leaf of the bay laurel, an evergreen of the Mediterranean, gathered where it grows wild or is cultivated. Turkey supplies most of the leaf sold worldwide, and the same tree was once planted for the oil in its leaves.
Why it’s in food
- Seasoning stocks and sauces
- Flavouring rice and lentils
- Aromatic in braises and stews
- Part of a bouquet garni
- Scenting pickling brine
Often found in
Also listed as: Bay leaf, Bay leaves, Laurel leaf, Sweet bay
Health & gut impact
Bay leaf is there for its aroma rather than its nutrients, and a single leaf weighs about 0.1 gram. A pot of stew that uses two leaves adds essentially nothing to the calorie or carbohydrate count.
USDA FoodData Central, bay leaf
The leaf does not soften in a stew, and it can lodge in the throat if it is swallowed whole. It is also bitter and resinous when chewed, which is the second reason cooks fish it out of the pot before serving.
NHS, choking first aid
Most of the aroma comes from eugenol, the same compound that gives cloves their bite, and eugenol is a recognised contact allergen. Reactions are usually seen with the concentrated oil rather than with a leaf in a stew, but they are worth knowing about if you react to scented products.
NHS, contact dermatitis
What can I use instead?
Related
More spices & herbs:
Common questions
Is a bay leaf safe to eat?
The flavor is, but the leaf itself is not meant to be swallowed. It stays hard and woody in a stew, so the habit is to add it whole and lift it out before serving.
Why does my stew taste bitter?
A bay leaf that has simmered for hours can turn bitter, and so can a leaf that was crushed before it went in. Add it for the last hour or so of cooking and take it out at the end.
Do bay leaves have any health benefits?
They are a herb, not a supplement, and a dish uses too little for it to matter. One leaf weighs about 0.1 gram, so it adds aroma and essentially no nutrition.
Can I eat the bay leaves in a sauce?
Plenty of people do, and the flavour of the leaf is fine once it has softened in liquid. Still, chewing around a hard leaf is no fun, so removing it first is the safer habit.
Is Bay leaf safe?
Generally safe (96/100). Bay leaf is a dried herb rather than an additive, so it carries no E-number and none of the three regulators has assessed it as one. In the United States and the EU it falls under the general provisions for herbs and spices, which require safe sourcing and controls for mould and Salmonella, and it must appear in the ingredient list of any food it flavours.
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Scientific sources & regulatory citations
- USDA FoodData Central, bay leaf
- NHS, choking first aid
- NHS, contact dermatitis