Laurel Leaves

• Using Bay Leaf (Laurus nobilis) in Cooking
• Using Bay Leaf as an aromatic spice is popular in Mediterranean cooking. Usually, you add a whole bay leaf to stews, soups, braises, and sauces. The leaf should remain in the pot for the entire cooking time. Then before serving, remove the leaf.
• Dried Bay Leaves are stiff and sharp and can damage your mouth if you eat them. Also, eating fresh bay leaves is unappetizing because they have a sharp, bitter taste. However, adding a bay leaf when cooking food releases a floral aroma that resembles Thyme and Oregano.
• Health benefits of Bay Laurel:
• Bay Laurel eases digestion and reduces flatulence; soothes urinary tract infections and dental infections; offers antiseptic and bactericidal properties; soothes pain due to sore throat; used with other treatments, it helps treat flu-related symptoms (cough, bronchitis, obstructed sinuses, etc.)
• Bay Laurel Leaves and fruits, in culinary preparations, truly support digestive tract functions. They increase appetite, stimulate lazy stomachs and reduce aerophagia.
• Bay is also an antiseptic, antifungal and antibacterial.
• To soothe pain related to chronic respiratory disorders (bronchitis, sinusitis) or in case of flu and colds, bay laurel is recommended for its expectorant and antiviral properties.
• Bay is also an effective ally in treating symptoms due to exhaustion such as herpes and canker sores. It calms urinary tract and dental infections.
• On an emotional plane, bay laurel is known to alleviate anxiety, hypersensitivity and lack of self-esteem.
• Topical use, like massage with bay leaf essential oil (diluted in sweet almond oil) relaxes contractures and muscle pain, joint inflammations and rheumatism.
• Used in topical preparations, Bay Laurel oil extracts are effective in treating mycosis, acne and paronychia.
• If diffused into the air in a room, Bay Laurel essential oil effectively purifies the air and gives energy to those present.
• Good to know, Laurel Leaves repel flies that might want to visit your kitchen!