Do bay leaves actually do anything?

Summary by Krater

The video explains why bay leaves are useful in cooking, examining their volatile aromatic compounds through a comparison test with and without bay leaves in rice.

From the video

Answers: Do bay leaves actually do anything in cooking?

• bay leaves
• aromatic compounds in herbs and spices
• food science of herbs
• infusion techniques
• taste and smell differences in cooking

Ingredients

• bay leaf
• cumin seeds
• oregano
• thyme
• rosemary
• oil
• minced onion
• garlic
• turmeric
• 1 spoonful chicken bouillon
• rice
• water

What it concludes

• Bay leaves contain volatile aromatic compounds including eucalyptus, clove, pine, and flowery notes that degrade over time even when properly stored.
• Herbs native to hot and arid areas like oregano, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves retain their aromatic compounds better when dried.
• Adding bay leaves to hot applications like boiling water releases their aromatic compounds, imparting subtle bitter and aromatic notes without overpowering the dish.