Bay Leaves.....WTH?

[onethatcares]

what is the purpose? Leaving them in or excluding them from recipes doesn't seem to impart any noticeable difference.

[Ferrets are Cool]

1. No snark intended, but you must be using the wrong bay leaves

I will NOT make anything Italian without bay leaves. A lot of dishes are better with them.

[Kali]

2. how old are they?

they make a difference when I use them.

[Bettie]

3. The flavor they impart is subtle

I can tell the difference, my DH and two of three sons can't.

I think it is just about how sensitive the taste buds that detect that flavor are.

[mitch96]

26. Subtle, yes. I can not tell the difference. When fresh and they give off an aroma and to me

it's lost in the cooking process. YMMV
m

[onethatcares]

4. I'm using on now in a pulled port sauce

cause the recipe called for it.

I won't use any the next time.

What flavor am I looking for?

and they're about 2 years old. Is one too few?

[2naSalit]

11. Depends on how fresh...

They were when you bought them and how you store them afterward.

I have some leaves that a friend brought me from American Samoa several years ago and they are still quite potent.

I won't boil potatoes without one in the water, all Italian sauces, roast beef/any beef dish that isn't broiled, soups and stews. To me it adds a mellow but noticeably savory sweetness to the whole thing that helps blend the flavors of all the other herbs and ingredients.

[CurtEastPoint]

25. pulled port? snicker...

[onethatcares]

28. and here I thought

I was going to make it the entire year without a spelling eror

the port may have something to do with that.

[CurtEastPoint]

30. That SO reminds me of Julia on SNL cooking and imbibing.

[NJCher]

35. My Resident Gourmand (RG)

Buys new bay leaves every month.

[elleng]

36. Smart! (We KNOW he is! I recently bought new ones, finding old ones' flavor/scent GONE.)

[Laura PourMeADrink]

5. Very displeasing flavor to me.. that and thyme.

[Cracklin Charlie]

7. Same.

I never use bay leaves. It’s sort of an old, moldy taste for me.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

10. Are you a super taster?

[Cracklin Charlie]

33. Not that I know about.

I am a super eater!

[2naSalit]

12. That's interesting...

Never heard of that before. I know some people can't tolerate cilantro, say it tastes like soap. One of my very best friends can't handle cilantro, I love it. I'm allergic to mint so I wonder if it could be an allergy that some have that makes it such an unpleasant experience.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

13. Cilantro tasting like soap is not an allergy.

It's some genetic thing. Different from simply not liking the taste of some food or spice.

I'm one of those for whom cilantro tastes like soap, and nothing enrages me more than someone who says, "Oh, there's only a little cilantro in it." Okay then, I'll only put a few soap chips in your food. Not a lot, just a few. Sometimes restaurants totally overdo the cilantro, especially if there's no option to have a particular dish made without it. I've learned to ask a lot of questions in some restaurants.

[2naSalit]

16. That's true.

I am not sure of the entire physiology of allergies.

I agree with you about learning to ask lots of questions at restaurants being allergic to mint. I have learned to watch for marketing cues on packaging too. A dose of mint can send me into a mere migraine/vomiting event or anaphylactic shock, so I am really vigilant. My hardest thing is dealing with toothpaste several times a day. I also am glad to wear a mask in the grocery check-out these days, the gum rack doesn't reach out and slap me like usually is the case. I keep a supply of benedryl handy at all times.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

31. Allergy is another thing entirely, and a lot more serious

than finding the taste of something unpleasant.

Sometimes in restaurants when I'm asking questions to avoid the cilantro, I'll get asked if I'm allergic. I then make a strong point of telling them I'm not allergic.

[Jilly_in_VA]

17. Remember that thing

we used to do in HS Biology where the teacher would pass around little strips of paper, two per person, and you would try tasting them? One was completely tasteless to everyone, and about 10-15% of people in any given class could taste the other one. It was some kind of genetic deal. I suspect the cilantro business is very much like it. Spousal unit and I both love the stuff, the more the better. Both of our exes swore they were eating soap. Maybe that's why they're exes?

[Walleye]

18. I love cilantro in Thai coconut milk soup

[3catwoman3]

19. Phenolphthalein paper, IIRC.

I suspect there is much more to the genetics of taste than we now just now.

I find it fascinating. Maybe it’s genetic that I hate liver.

[2naSalit]

23. I do recall seeing a study result...

Indicating that the difference in tasting cilantro was a genetic thing. It was a while back. As mentioned above, it's not an allergy per se.

I love cilantro and didn't realize there was anyone who didn't like it until the study came to light. Then I discovered that several of my friends hated it for that reason.

I also use a lot of coriander seed when I cook.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

34. Sounds like the super taster test. If you are one

the strip test tastes bitter had test at Christmas.

All it means is that you have lots more taste buds on your tongue. You can actually figure that out too with a mirror. Google for test.

It can be a curse. Because you are unhappy eating something when the taste is off to you. And other people are happy as clams. Also embarrassing when you are trying to be gracious to others who cook for you.

Offensive flavors to me:

Blueberries
Cilantro
Bay leaf
Thyme
Liquorice/fennel

[SheltieLover]

21. I thought it was just me with cilantro tastinglike soap!

Thx for clearing that up!

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

39. It's a reasonably significant percentage of people.

[SheltieLover]

40. Interesting

People always look at me like I'm crazy when I say I don't eat cilantro because it tastes like soap.

[eppur_se_muova]

37. Yep, genetic. And there are other examples.

Cilantro: https://www.nature.com/articles/nature.2012.11398

An asian fruit: https://www.nature.com/articles/265536a0 linked to PTC receptors https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenylthiocarbamide#Role_in_taste

[rsdsharp]

29. Cilantro tasted like dirt to me.

I’ve heard a few other people say that, but it’s not as common as the soap taste. I can eat cilantro in fresh homemade salsa, but that’s about it.

[Cracklin Charlie]

32. I love cilantro!

I do not like mint, but I like oregano, especially Mexican oregano.

It all seems so personal.

[Jilly_in_VA]

38. Spousal unit claims

that he once threatened his ex that he was going to sow the lawn with cilantro in all the bare spots and just let it grow and re-seed itself....she being a cilantro hater. I told him last year to just go for it! I would swoon every time he mowed.....

[Harker]

9. You'll be pleased to know that I have no thyme left for you.

I'll probably never hear The Guess Who again without thinking of this.

[wyn borkins]

6. A Reasonably Delicious Article

An article with a few 'tasteless' words from "delish"

"There's no discernible scent or flavor, really. That is, until you toss a few in boiling water for a few minutes — and witness the VapoRub smell that erupts..."

[WheelWalker]

8. Don't eat them.

[Wahyee]

14. When I boil shrimp

I throw in a cut lemon and a couple bay leaves, along with some pepper corns, and the bay provides a lovely subtle flavor.

[lillypaddle]

20. Spaghetti, chili, Cajun food

steamed shrimp or other seafood, bay leaves are a necessity of life! Do stir frequently, though. However, please do remove them once the food has been cooked. I read that they may be swallowed and adhere to the esophagus , causing a dangerous choking situation.

[RainCaster]

22. Cajun food uses lots of bay leaves

I can taste it there, so I'm guessing that Cajun restaurants use enough that it's always fresh.

[2naSalit]

24. Also crucial...

Herb in making machaca, simmered, shredded beef.

[MOMFUDSKI]

27. They are a MUST

in my pea soup.

[Major Nikon]

41. They have a limited shelf life in terms of quality

Like any dried herb they can be used indefinitely, but the results will vary. The ones you get at the supermarket can be hit and miss and in my experience more miss than hit.

[dem in texas]

42. Try this with bay leaf

Next time you are cooking some raw potatoes for potato salad, drop a few bay leaves in the water with the potatoes(3 or 4 bay leave for 3 or 4 cut-up potatoes). When you drain the potatoes, discard the bay leaves. Gives the potatoes a good flavor.

[onethatcares]

43. thank you

I will do just that.

I appreciate all the replies even the ones that went sideways. I was wondering who the first person was that ate one of them but I'll leave that for another day.