Bay leaves are often used in various recipes, but do they really add any flavour or aroma? (Image credit: Westend61 via Getty Images)
If a recipe calls for bay leaves, pay attention. The leathery but soft leaf, which is usually removed before serving, has been a staple of Mediterranean cooking for centuries, but recently some foodies and chefs have been questioning whether the herb actually adds flavor.
Could they be right? The answer depends on several factors, including the type of leaf, its freshness, and even people's ability to detect its unique flavor notes, as research shows that not everyone can.
What does bay leaf taste like?
Bay leaves come from the laurel tree, an evergreen native to the Mediterranean. When added to dishes like stews or soups for an extended period of time, bay leaves are thought to impart a rich flavor: a combination of pine, clove, lavender, and eucalyptus, as Charles Spence, a professor of experimental psychology and gastrophysicist at the University of Oxford, noted in a 2023 paper on the taste and history of bay leaves.
But the leaf’s subtle green and bitter undertones are hard to describe, even to chefs, and some argue there’s a certain mystique to it. “My brother, who’s a chef, is of the same opinion,” Spence told Live Science. “He thinks the dish is missing something without the bay leaf, though he can’t quite put his finger on what it is that the leaf adds.”
“Someone unfamiliar with the flavor of bay leaf may not notice its subtle impact and claim it has no effect,” says Ethan Frisch, co-founder and co-CEO of spice company Burlap and Barrel.
Additionally, different varieties of bay leaves have different aromas. The European variety (Laurus nobilis L.) is the most commonly found in stores and used in recipes, Frisch noted. However, the native California bay leaf (Umbellularia californica) can also be found in North America. Although the two species are similar in shape and aroma, the California bay leaf is “a little more piney and citrusy, as opposed to the Mediterranean bay leaf, which has more menthol and eucalyptus notes,” Frisch explained.
That may be why bay leaves get more attention in North America. In other regions, such as the bay leaf's native Mediterranean, the herb remains a common and undeniable part of culinary culture, Spence said.
Frisch added that the bay leaf’s reputation has suffered from a combination of poor quality and a lack of understanding. In the U.S., “most dried bay leaves have no flavor because they’re so old,” Frisch told Live Science.
According to him, many laurel products do not have clear collection conditions and undergo many years of processing, which can lead to their spoilage even before purchase.
A cook may feel that the subtle flavor nuances that bay leaves add are not worth it compared to more vibrant spices like pepper or garlic. They choose not to use it or to substitute it, which reinforces the idea that it is useless because dishes can still be delicious without it.
The bay leaf controversy may also be linked to genetic factors. The volatile compound 1,8-cineole is the most abundant essential oil in bay leaves, giving them a medicinal aroma that’s slightly reminiscent of mint, like Vicks VapoRub. A 1981 study of 85 people found that a third couldn’t detect the taste of 1,8-cineole. It’s not known whether the inability to taste bay leaves is genetic, as it likely is in people who find cilantro to have a soapy taste. This selective anosmia for bay leaves may also help explain why some find the herb tasteless, Spence noted.
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