Herb

Turkish Bay

A tier

Turkish bay is a major commercial source of dried Laurus nobilis—leaves typically broad, olive-green, and cleanly aromatic for global food manufacturing and home stews. Quality grades vary; good lots smell fresh-herbal, not musty. Use in stocks, dolma pots, and rice. Turkish supply underpins many unlabelled “bay leaves” in supermarkets. Buy whole leaves and crush as needed rather than powdered bay, which loses top notes.

Also known as: Defne