What is the purpose of the Bay Leaf in cooking?

Answer 1

Flavor.

Answer 2

Purpose Of Bay Leaf

Answer 3

Culinary use
Bay leaves are a staple in the cooking of many European cuisines (particularly those of the Mediterranean), as well as in North America. They are used in soups, stews, meat, seafood, and vegetable dishes. The leaves also flavor classic French dishes such as bouillabaise and bouillon. The leaves are most often used whole (sometimes in a bouquet garni), and removed before serving.

Although uncommon, ground bay leaves are sometimes also used.


[edit] Taste and aroma
Bay leaves are pungent and have a sharp, bitter taste, with the California bay leaf a bit more intense and bitter in flavor than the Turkish. The flavor and aroma of bay leaves owes in large part to the essential oil eugenol


[edit] History/region of origin
Ancient Greeks and Romans crowned victors with wreaths of laurel. The term "baccalaureate," means laurel berry, and refers to the ancient practice of honoring scholars and poets with garlands from the bay laurel tree. Romans felt the leaves protected them against thunder and the plague. Later, Italians and the English believed Bay Leaves brought good luck and warded off evil.


[edit] Facts
The bay leaf is useful in hearty, homestyle cooking. When you are making bean, split pea and vegetable soups, meat stews, spaghetti sauce, and chili, a Bay leaf can be added for a more pungent flavor. Alternate whole Bay Leaves with meat, seafood, or vegetables on skewers before cooking. Be sure to remove Bay Leaves before eating a dish that has finished cooking. The whole leaves are used to impart flavor only and are bitter and hard to chew.

Answer 4

Bay leaves add tons of flavor to your cooking. They can be used whole either fresh or dried, or they can be used powdered after being dried. When they are whole they are easy to pluck out after you have finished cooking and before you serve, no one likes to get a whole bay leaf in their plate!

Answer 5

It's a very subtle flavor if you use the dried ones. Try fresh bay leaves sometime and you'll notice a very slight sweet aromatic taste. I love 'em.

Answer 6

It releases an awesome flavor into your food. It's best if you cook the food for a while as the flavor is released slowly.

Answer 7

To add a robust, strongly aromatic with a woody, astringent flavor and a pleasant, slightly minty aroma to meats and vegetable dishes, soups and sauces.

Answer 8

its a herb that releases aromatic spices when cooked in dishes, its lovely in soup! just remember to take it out once cooked!!!

Answer 9

Its a herb thats use for flavouring stocks as in (bouquet garni).Stocks are the basis for soups,sauces.

Answer 10

For flavor.