On Sun, 22 Feb 2009 11:33:11 -0500, "cyberpurrs"
> wrote:

>>>
>> Mediterranean, Californian, West-Indian and Indonesian.
>>
>Are they all laurel?

Don't forget the Turkish Variety....Penzey's believes they are the
most flavorful.


from Penzey's: Turkish Bay Leaves are the best in the world. Though
not as strong as the California variety, they have a natural depth of
flavor that the California Bay Leaves can't hope to match. Bay leaves
grow wild on the hilly mountains of western Turkey in the area around
Izmir (Smyrna). The wind there is perfect for growing bay leaves. Most
of the year it comes out of the west across the Mediterranean and
Aegean seas, picking up moisture and dropping it on the growing trees.
At the end of the summer the wind changes direction and comes out of
the south. Before it reaches the hills around Izmir it must pass over
a couple of mountain ridges, making it hot and dry, perfect for
quickly drying the leaves with a minimum of flavor loss. These winds
at times create a high risk of forest fires, which in years past have
led to a very small bay leaf harvest, but this year we seem to have a
nice supply for the coming season. The flavor of Bay Leaves is perfect
for adding to roast pork or chicken, pot roast, turkey, or ham, use
2-3 leaves and remove before serving. Bay Leaves are also perfect for
spaghetti sauce and chicken soup, use 2 per quart. A surprising fact
is that Bay Leaves improve the flavor of salt-free dishes with their
rich flavor. Note: bay leaves are very light (8 ounces by weight
equals one gallon by volume).