[CH] Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis)
Shantihhh@aol.com
Fri, 26 Oct 2001 18:25:29 EDT
<< I was always under the impression that the bayleaf was poisonous which is
why you were supposed to remove it before serving your dish. >>
There are 2000 types of Bay Leaf. The California Bay is often used to make
many wreaths from it like William Sonoma and Smith & Hawkins sells. The Bay
Laurel is the one used for culinary uses. It is NOT poisonous and is even
available ground to add to dishes.
The Lauraceae (Family of laurels)
Family of trees or shrubs widespread in tropical and subtropical regions.
All family members are woody trees, shrubs, or vines that bear flowers and
produce aromatic oils in their leaves and stems.
Their pollen, some of the characteristics of their flowers, and details in
their anatomy, let us believe that they resemble very much the early
flowering plants. Traces of specimens belonging to this family are found in
fossil rocks, that are more than 60 million years old.
The laurel family contains at least 2,000 species. Well-known members of the
family are the camphor tree (Cinnamonum camphora), cinnamon, avocado,
sassafras (Sassafras albidum), California laurel (Umbellularia californica),
Linderas(Lindera spp- Benzoin aestivale) etc. and last but not least the Bay
Laurel (Laurus nobilis).
Many species are botanically interesting and some have economic value by the
wood, oils and spices that they produce. The leaves from the bay laurel are
used as an aromatic in food or in perfumes. Wood produced by the California
bay is used as valuable timber.
Mary-Anne