BAY LEAVES CHARACTERISTICS
GRADE | WHOLE LEAVES | BROKEN LEAVES (under 1.5 cm) | BROWN LEAVES, HOLES & SPOTS | BRANCH STEMS | COLOR |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
HAND PICKED | 97% min | 1.5% max | 0.5% max | 1% max | Natural green |
GRADE 1 (Hand Semi Selected) | 90% min | 5% max | 3% max | 2% max | Natural green |
GRADE 2 EXTRA (Semi Selected Extra) | 85% min | 7% max | 5% max | 3% max | Natural green |
GRADE 2 STANDARD (Semi Selected Standard) | 80% min | 10% max | 7% max | 3% max | Natural green |
F.A.Q | 75% min | 15% max | 7% max | 3% max | Natural green & brown |
Bay leaves specification.
Naturally or mechanically dried to preserve their flavor, the finest Bay Leaves have been selected in order to meet the most exigent expectations. Bay leaves are pungent and have a sharp taste but when dried the fragrance is herbal and slightly floral. Mostly used in Mediterranean and North America cuisines in soups, meats, fish and vegetable dishes.
As we said, bay leaves are a pleasantly yet strong aromatic and they enjoy a huge popularity in a wide array of culinary applications, especially in the Mediterranean cuisine where you can find the bay leaves in dishes like: stocks, stews, soups and seafood. Bay leaves are also found in fish marinades and pickled vegetables.
Nonetheless, given their fragrant nature, bay leaves can also be found as additives to potpourri, incense and other scented products. Also, there are some aromatic compounds that can be isolated and found in cough medicine products, cosmetics, mouthwash products and perfumes.
While the bay leaves fragrance is appealing to humans, they are frequently uses as a cheap and environmentally friendly household pest repellents for a variety of common insects.
Bay leaves countries of origin: Italy, Greece, Turkey, Russia, Morocco, USA.