Bay leaf

Family name: Lauracea
Botanical name: Laurus nobilis

Culinary uses: The leaves give off a pungent and warm bouquet when broken.  When slightly wilted, they are strongly aromatic. Bay leaves can be used fresh or dried. It is one of the ingredients of the classic bouquet garni and is used in many classic sauces such as bechamel and tomato sauce and in contemporary dishes such as Filipino adobo and Portuguese caldo verde. It can be added to seafood, poulty, meat, rices, vegetables, soups, stews, marinades, threaded on skewers of ingredients for braaing/grilling or laid in a pan for roasting or baking.  Bay leaf is often used for pickling foods and surprisingly, it can also be used in certain sweet dishes, custards and creams.

Medicinal: it has astringent, diuretic and digestive qualities and is an appetite stimulant.

Other: it can be used in rice etc to discourage insects.