LAUREL

LAURUS NOBILIS

Probably native to Asia Minor; widespread all over the Mediterranean coasts and in every Italian Region, from the sea level up to 800 metres in height.
An evergreen tree, large shrub or small tree, growing up to 8 metres in height. Bay leaves are oblanceolate or oval, leathery, dark-green with a shiny upper surface. When the bay leaves are rubbed, they give off a spicy-sweet scent. Its flowers are unisexual, small and light yellow, crowded in axillary umbels; they appear in March-April. Its fruits are oval, black berries, when ripe they have only one seed. Bay leaves can be collected up all year round and they can be dried in fresh aired places. The fruits are only produced by female plants; they are picked up in autumn and dried in the sun or in lukewarm temperature in the oven. Keep them away from lights and humidity.
Bay leaves can be employed to flavour different kinds of meat and fish dishes; to flavour vegetables and mushrooms preserved in oil and vinegar. Its fruits are used to make bay leaf liqueur.
Health benefits: tonic-stimulating action, digestive, aperitive, pectoral, carminative and diuretic.
Stimulating and deodorizing in baths and foot baths.