Vitana Bay Leaves Whole Dried | 3 g

QUANTITY: 3 g ___ Whole dried bay leaf Bay leaf from the bay tree has a spicy taste with a hint of citrus. It is especially suitable for marinades and sour dishes. It is added both to spicy meat and fish dishes, to pasta sauces, and even to sweet puddings. It adds an excellent taste to legume soups. It is used when pickling vegetables, beetroot, mushrooms or beans. A single bay leaf gives the food a distinct, specific taste. Description of the spice: Bay leaf has a long history full of legends. The Greeks believed that it was a sacred plant, and so the custom arose of giving laurel crowns of bay leaves to winners, poets and emperors. Bay leaf from the bay tree has a spicy taste with a hint of citrus. It is especially suitable for marinades and sour dishes. It is added both to spicy meat and fish dishes, to pasta sauces, and even to sweet puddings. It adds an excellent taste to legume soups. It is used when pickling vegetables, beetroot, mushrooms or beans. A single bay leaf gives the food a distinct, specific taste. Region: It occurs mainly in subtropical areas, where it also grows wild. The most important producer of bay leaves is Turkey. Taste and smell: The bay leaf is from the laurel tree, it has a spicy and slightly bitter taste with a hint of citrus. After drying, it acquires an aroma similar to oregano and thyme. Storage: Dried bay leaves are strongly aromatic. Bay leaf is best stored in an airtight glass container in a dry place and out of direct sunlight. Description of the plant: Bay leaf grows on noble laurel, also called noble. It is a tall evergreen tree that grows to a height of 18 m. Laurel has yellow or greenish-white leaves, from which grow dark green-purple berries containing seeds. Adult leaves reach a width of 3 to 4 centimeters and a length of 6 to 12 cm. History and origin: Laurel comes from the Mediterranean. In earlier times, the Mediterranean region had a wetter climate, which is why many laurel trees grew here and created laurel forests. Ten thousand years ago, the climatic conditions changed and other plants gradually replaced laurels. The bay leaf was celebrated by the Greeks and Romans, who considered this plant a symbol of wisdom, peace, victory and protection. This is why Greek and Roman scholars are depicted with a wreath made of laurel leaves. The bay leaf was one of the symbols associated with the Greek god Apollo, who was one of the most important gods in Greek mythology. Apollo wore a laurel wreath on his head as a symbol of unrequited love from the nymph Daphne, who turned into a tree when she tried to hide from Apollo. Greek and Roman politicians and war heroes were also decorated with laurel wreaths in honor of their glory and victories. This habit gave rise to the proverb "resting on one's laurels". Laurel wreaths were also worn by the winners of sporting events. Culinary Uses: Bay leaves are used in almost every cuisine, but perhaps most popular in French and Mediterranean cuisine. The glossy, dark green bay leaves can be used fresh. However, they taste best dried, as they lose their bitterness while still retaining their pleasant aroma. Bay leaf is especially suitable for marinades and sour dishes. It is added both to spicy meat and fish dishes, to pasta sauces, and even to sweet puddings. It adds an excellent taste to legume soups. It is used when pickling vegetables, beetroot, mushrooms or beans. A single bay leaf gives the food a distinct, specific taste. Bay leaf is also an essential part of many classic sauces, such as tomato sauce or béchamel. Bay leaves are added to seafood dishes. It also adds great flavor to rice or vegetable dishes. They are also part of a bouquet garni, which is a bundle of herbs most often tied with string. The bunch usually contains parsley, thyme, sage, sardine, rosemary or basil. It is used to prepare broths and stews. Bay leaves also add great flavor to sweet dishes made from cream or English pudding. Herbal teas can also be prepared from the dried leaves. Laurel fruits can also be used to flavor dishes. ___ COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Czech Republic ___ STORAGE: Store in a dry place. ___ MANUFACTURER / DISTRIBUTOR: VITANA, a.s. Mělnická 133 277 32 Byšice Czech Republic vitana'''''''''''@vitana.cz www.vitana.cz