Bay Laurel Vs. California Bay Laurel
One is a tasty spice - the other is edible, but dubious
Bay leaves are one of those magical herbal ingredients that not only flavor a sauce or soup, they seem to bring the whole thing together. It's a pity that they are A) so expensive, and B) something I don't use often enough. It's one of those spices that I can almost guarantee you will always be stale in my cupboard.
I was intrigued when my neighbor offered to let me pull leaves off of her "bay tree" and use them whenever I liked. The prospect of fresh bay was exciting, I had never tried it fresh, and I know that most herbs are so much more delicious fresh! What was growing in her yard sure looked like bay leaves, but when I crushed the leaves between my fingers, they smelled like camphor and eucalyptus.
