# Does adding a bay leaf to a recipe really do anything? Anyone wanna go in on a jar with me? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [January 10, 2026, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-adding-a-bay-leaf-to-a-recipe-really-do-anything-anyone-wanna-go-in-on-a-jar-with-me/1026532 "2026-01-10T14:25:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2026, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-adding-a-bay-leaf-to-a-recipe-really-do-anything-anyone-wanna-go-in-on-a-jar-with-me/1026532/1 "2026-01-10T14:25:46Z")
I’m making a big pot ‘o chili and the recipe calls for one bay leaf (optional). I thought I had a container of leaves, but I must have tossed it out at some point because it was probably a decade old. While at the store picking up my chili ingredients, I was stunned to find that a jar of bay leaves costs $12.99. Based on my visual assessment, that’s around $2 per leaf. I suspect that, were I to make two pots – one with a bay leaf and one without – that I would not be able to discern a difference in flavor of the two dishes. 1. Does adding a bay leaf to a recipe make a difference? 2. Can we muster a group of five or so Dopers to go in on a jar? mmm ETA: I now see that there is a previous bay leaf thread. It is 20 years old. Perhaps there is recent bay leaf research or technology that would justify the existence of this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2026, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-adding-a-bay-leaf-to-a-recipe-really-do-anything-anyone-wanna-go-in-on-a-jar-with-me/1026532/2 "2026-01-10T14:43:54Z")
I stopped using bay leaves many years ago primarily because of limited use. Eventually they would evolve into what looked like side of the road dead leaf detritus in a spice box. But I am not someone who cooks frequently and covid has altered my sense of taste. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2026, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-adding-a-bay-leaf-to-a-recipe-really-do-anything-anyone-wanna-go-in-on-a-jar-with-me/1026532/3 "2026-01-10T14:44:16Z")
Yes, I can tell the difference. It adds a distinct flavor. ---
**Author:** ![bobsmom101](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobsmom101/32/2867_2.png) [@bobsmom101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobsmom101)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2026, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-adding-a-bay-leaf-to-a-recipe-really-do-anything-anyone-wanna-go-in-on-a-jar-with-me/1026532/4 "2026-01-10T14:46:35Z")
The only time I’ve ever tasted a bay leaf in a recipe is when I picked them fresh off the bush in my yard. The dried ones are a waste of $$ IMO. The fresh ones made a big positive difference though! ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2026, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-adding-a-bay-leaf-to-a-recipe-really-do-anything-anyone-wanna-go-in-on-a-jar-with-me/1026532/5 "2026-01-10T14:46:42Z")
I’m not sure where you live or why bay leaves are so expensive there, but [here’s](https://thrivemarket.com/p/thrive-market-organic-bay-leaves?utm_source=google&utm_source=google&utm_medium=pla&utm_medium=pla_smart®ion_id=13&utm_campaign=Google_Prospecting_PerformanceMax_NB_FeedOnly_AllProducts_Broad&utm_content=671635704047&utm_term=pmax&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23394355569&gbraid=0AAAAADlJFtiNrrQyZHhNTCKQTWkF_h3gk&gclid=CjwKCAiAjojLBhAlEiwAcjhrDsVxouALe8nbKHxmvpwnxL7PUOWOdl71IEwU-jXyEPwaA22Bh42vKhoCoOgQAvD_BwE&ccode=newmember30off&ccode_force=1) a package of (rougly) 50 leaves for $3.49. [Amazon](https://a.co/d/i26TzNN) has a jar of maybe 25 leaves for $2.24. I use bay leaves is soups, stews, and sauces that have tomatoes or red meat as an ingredient because that’s how how I was taught to cook them. What difference they make I couldn’t tell you. But now I’m curious how mandatory they really are. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2026, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-adding-a-bay-leaf-to-a-recipe-really-do-anything-anyone-wanna-go-in-on-a-jar-with-me/1026532/6 "2026-01-10T14:48:05Z")
If you order stuff from Penzey’s there’s usually a bag of bay leaves thrown in. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2026, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-adding-a-bay-leaf-to-a-recipe-really-do-anything-anyone-wanna-go-in-on-a-jar-with-me/1026532/7 "2026-01-10T14:48:38Z")
Bay leaves are to soup what dead worms are to tequila. Add a little dried oregano or thyme and the bay leaf won’ t be missed. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2026, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-adding-a-bay-leaf-to-a-recipe-really-do-anything-anyone-wanna-go-in-on-a-jar-with-me/1026532/8 "2026-01-10T14:52:13Z")
I always use a bay leaf in Italian tomato sauce, and I make a lot of Italian tomato sauce. I almost always use a bay leaf in soup. I buy bags of it from Penzey’s, but twice in a row the ziplock closure on the bag came apart. They need to improve on that. Don’t buy bay leaves in those ridiculously overpriced little jars. Penzey’s offers better value for your buck (or they would if they used a better ziplock that doesn’t break). ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2026, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-adding-a-bay-leaf-to-a-recipe-really-do-anything-anyone-wanna-go-in-on-a-jar-with-me/1026532/9 "2026-01-10T15:17:17Z")
Probably depends on the type of bay leaf. I discovered the hard way that there is a lot of difference between european and california bay. In our early days of dating I thought I would impress my wife-to-be by making a vegetable curry. I was fairly newly in the US and was used to the milder european bay leaves. So I put in a handful of local ones… and the resulting dish tasted, well, like BAY LEAVES!!! Fortunately we survived the experience… ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2026, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-adding-a-bay-leaf-to-a-recipe-really-do-anything-anyone-wanna-go-in-on-a-jar-with-me/1026532/10 "2026-01-10T15:20:39Z")
If you use few bay leafs I recommend putting them in a jar in the freezer and taking two out directly into whatever you are cooking, no need the thaw them. Usually two is better than one. They make a difference for the better in most dishes. If you use them fresh from the garden make sure the bush is a proper _**[Laurus nobilis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurus_nobilis)**_. There are similar looking trees like _**[Prunus laurocerasus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prunus_laurocerasus)**_, _**[Prunus caroliniana](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prunus_caroliniana)**_ and _**[Prunus lusitanica](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prunus_lusitanica)**_ that are ~~mildly~~ poisonous and, worse, don’t taste of anything. One leaf won’t kill you, but as they don’t taste of anything you might be tempted to use many more. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2026, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-adding-a-bay-leaf-to-a-recipe-really-do-anything-anyone-wanna-go-in-on-a-jar-with-me/1026532/11 "2026-01-10T16:24:13Z")
The recommendation I’ve heard for isolating and identifying bay aroma is to add a leaf to a pot of plain rice (edit:prior to steaming). I grew up with it and associate bay with pickling and a chile sauce sort of like ajvar but it only gets seldom use in my own kitchen. I added **two** to a pot of rice over the summer and wound up tossing almost all of it, too eucalyptusishy. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2026, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-adding-a-bay-leaf-to-a-recipe-really-do-anything-anyone-wanna-go-in-on-a-jar-with-me/1026532/12 "2026-01-10T16:51:21Z")
I have a bay tree living in a pot. I could mail you a few leaves, but they probably wouldn’t get there in time for this recipe. People who use a lot of bayleaf might consider the technique of growing their own. I think I got mine from Raintree Nursery, but it was probably thirty years ago and my memory might be faulty. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2026, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-adding-a-bay-leaf-to-a-recipe-really-do-anything-anyone-wanna-go-in-on-a-jar-with-me/1026532/13 "2026-01-10T18:09:15Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > Does adding a bay leaf to a recipe make a difference? It adds that element of danger, when you discuss how you have to find and remove the bay leaves or else someone could choke to death on it. That’s me - living life on the edge! ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2026, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-adding-a-bay-leaf-to-a-recipe-really-do-anything-anyone-wanna-go-in-on-a-jar-with-me/1026532/14 "2026-01-10T18:16:13Z")
> [@Lancia](#): > > I’m not sure where you live or why bay leaves are so expensive there, but [here’s](https://thrivemarket.com/p/thrive-market-organic-bay-leaves?utm_source=google&utm_source=google&utm_medium=pla&utm_medium=pla_smart®ion_id=13&utm_campaign=Google_Prospecting_PerformanceMax_NB_FeedOnly_AllProducts_Broad&utm_content=671635704047&utm_term=pmax&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23394355569&gbraid=0AAAAADlJFtiNrrQyZHhNTCKQTWkF_h3gk&gclid=CjwKCAiAjojLBhAlEiwAcjhrDsVxouALe8nbKHxmvpwnxL7PUOWOdl71IEwU-jXyEPwaA22Bh42vKhoCoOgQAvD_BwE&ccode=newmember30off&ccode_force=1) a package of (rougly) 50 leaves for $3.49. [Amazon](https://a.co/d/i26TzNN) has a jar of maybe 25 leaves for $2.24. Ahh, that’s more like it. I’ll probably grab one of these, although it will not be in time for this batch, even with Amazon Prime. For the record, I was in a regular supermarket in the spice aisle. It did appear to be a fancy-ish brand in a cute little glass bottle. The container I disposed of at some point was a tin can, McCormick brand, I think. I’m still not convinced that I would be able to tell the difference. Perhaps an experiment is in my future. mmm ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2026, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-adding-a-bay-leaf-to-a-recipe-really-do-anything-anyone-wanna-go-in-on-a-jar-with-me/1026532/15 "2026-01-10T18:17:58Z")
I can tell the difference. I used to grow the plant. Fredh and dry taste different; fresh is more on the sharp side. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2026, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-adding-a-bay-leaf-to-a-recipe-really-do-anything-anyone-wanna-go-in-on-a-jar-with-me/1026532/16 "2026-01-10T18:27:31Z")
I’ve offered up freshly pruned bay leaves in several threads here. Send me a PM, and I’ll pack up an envelope and mail it off to you (or anyone else who would use them). They’re super fragrant. A huge difference from the dried leaves. It’s hardly worth using the dried leaves. > [@Do Bay Leaves even have a Flavor?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bay-leaves-even-have-a-flavor/811090/6): > > That said one doper – and I apologize for forgetting who – sent me some fresh bay leaves from her tree in the backyard a number of years back. Those _definitely_ had an immediately identifiable smell and taste to them. > [@Do Bay Leaves even have a Flavor?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bay-leaves-even-have-a-flavor/811090/40): > > To everyone who’s asked for some fresh bay leaves, be sure to come back here and post your impressions once they arrive. Anybody else want some? Send me a pm with your address. > [@Another Bay Leaf harvest. Anyone want some?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bay-leaf-harvest-anyone-want-some/1010742): > > I have some bay leaf branches which got pruned after growing too close to the power line. Awhile back I offered up fresh bay leaves to anyone who wanted to try some. I thought I’d do it again while they’re still fresh. They’re typically used in stews and soups. They have a nice distinctive scent, unlike the dried leaves from the store. I use them in stews, chili, chowders and other soups, corned beef from scratch, cassoulet, stuff like that. Their scent remind me of bergamot, like in Earl Grey … ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2026, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-adding-a-bay-leaf-to-a-recipe-really-do-anything-anyone-wanna-go-in-on-a-jar-with-me/1026532/17 "2026-01-10T19:15:36Z")
Count me as another who thinks they add a subtle but distinctive flavor to dishes that call for them. It’s not like, if I’m out of them, I make an emergency store run just for them, but I like to keep bay leaves on hand and use them if I got 'em. > [@Lancia](#): > > I’m not sure where you live or why bay leaves are so expensive there, but [here’s](https://thrivemarket.com/p/thrive-market-organic-bay-leaves?utm_source=google&utm_source=google&utm_medium=pla&utm_medium=pla_smart®ion_id=13&utm_campaign=Google_Prospecting_PerformanceMax_NB_FeedOnly_AllProducts_Broad&utm_content=671635704047&utm_term=pmax&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23394355569&gbraid=0AAAAADlJFtiNrrQyZHhNTCKQTWkF_h3gk&gclid=CjwKCAiAjojLBhAlEiwAcjhrDsVxouALe8nbKHxmvpwnxL7PUOWOdl71IEwU-jXyEPwaA22Bh42vKhoCoOgQAvD_BwE&ccode=newmember30off&ccode_force=1) a package of (rougly) 50 leaves for $3.49. [Amazon](https://a.co/d/i26TzNN) has a jar of maybe 25 leaves for $2.24. Indian grocery stores are also a great source of cheap bay leaves. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2026, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-adding-a-bay-leaf-to-a-recipe-really-do-anything-anyone-wanna-go-in-on-a-jar-with-me/1026532/18 "2026-01-10T19:23:40Z")
The Splendid Table did an episode on bay leaves a few years ago. I heard a promo for it, made a mental note to listen to it someday, and never did. Thanks for the reminder! Here it is: > **[Bay leaves are an optional ingredient, 'but things are definitely better with...](https://www.splendidtable.org/story/2014/05/23/bay-leaves-are-an-optional-ingredient-but-things-are-definitely-better-with-them)** > > J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, the managing culinary director of Serious Eats, explains the bay leaf. > [@solost](#): > > Indian grocery stores are also a great source of cheap bay leaves. Those look the same but I don’t think they are botanically related, at least if the leaves you refer to are labeled “curry leaves.” We grow both bay leaves and curry leaves in our yard, and they’re different. Curry leaves are delicious and if I’m making dhal, I always use them. (But don’t overdo it - because they are so tasty, I once made a pot of dhal that called for 10 curry leaves and in order to “double” the deliciousness, I used 20. Big mistake.) Bay leaves are fine but nothing special. I wonder if my sense of smell lacks in a particular dimension, as I always use them fresh from our plant but I don’t think they are a huge improvement over good-quality (Penzey’s) dried. Pleasant, but nothing I would rhapsodize over. I would never leave them out of homemade stock, though. Speaking of Penzey’s – they used to include a complementary bag of bay leaves in their packaging, but I think it has been a few years since they’ve done that. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2026, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-adding-a-bay-leaf-to-a-recipe-really-do-anything-anyone-wanna-go-in-on-a-jar-with-me/1026532/19 "2026-01-10T19:27:52Z")
Bay leaves are an option that I can easily do without. Having a scrunchy non-biodegradable leaf floating around in sauce or whatever isn’t my favorite thing. > [@thorny\_locust](#): > > People who use a lot of bayleaf might consider the technique of growing their own. I think I got mine from Raintree Nursery, but it was probably thirty years ago and my memory might be faulty. Available from Logee’s and other places as well. Sometimes found in local nurseries with greenhouses. I want to try Cuban oregano. My plant can spare a few leaves. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2026, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-adding-a-bay-leaf-to-a-recipe-really-do-anything-anyone-wanna-go-in-on-a-jar-with-me/1026532/20 "2026-01-10T19:27:54Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > > [@solost](#): > > > > Indian grocery stores are also a great source of cheap bay leaves. > > Those look the same but I don’t think they are botanically related, at least if the leaves you refer to are labeled “curry leaves.” The ones I’ve bought from Indian groceries are called bay leaves, though I have wondered if they are a different variety, since though they look like bay leaves, they are often larger than what you buy in the little jars in the spice section of a typical western grocery store. I just chalked that up to processors only using smaller whole bay leaves that can fit into the jars, and using the larger leaves for other things. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-adding-a-bay-leaf-to-a-recipe-really-do-anything-anyone-wanna-go-in-on-a-jar-with-me/1026532.md?page=2)